The American Society of Agronomy (ASA) named University of Florida professor Sabine Grunwald a 2026 ASA Fellow. It is the Society’s highest honor recognizing exceptional achievement and service in agronomy. Grunwald is a professor of pedometrics and GeoAI in the UF/IFAS Department of Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Sciences (SWES).
Her work combines artificial intelligence, geospatial technologies, Earth observation and soil sensing. She applies these tools to soil health, digital soil mapping, carbon modeling and climate-smart agriculture.
“I am deeply honored to be named an ASA Fellow,” Grunwald said. “I am grateful for all the collaborations I’ve had throughout my career. The shared creativity and dedication have been an important part of this journey.”
Advancing Soil Science
Grunwald has helped advance digital approaches to soil science through machine learning, deep learning and geospatial technologies. One example is the $15 million USDA-funded Vibrant Future Climate-Smart Agricultural Partnership that examined carbon budgets and markets in specialty crops across five states.
Her team used soil spectral data, remote sensing, geospatial datasets and artificial intelligence to assess soil carbon, soil health and crop health. The research also examined greenhouse gas emissions and agricultural management practices. These tools can support more sustainable and smart agricultural systems.
Another major contribution is her work in digital soil mapping, including the STEP-AWBH soil factorial modeling framework. It uses spatial and temporal soil-forming factors, machine learning and deep learning AI to predict soil health properties and classes. It also incorporates geospatial technologies to improve predictions.
Grunwald’s scholarly record reflects the reach of this work. She is an author on approximately 240 peer-reviewed publications, which have received more than 14,600 citations. As of July 2026, her Google Scholar profile lists an h-index of 59.
Teaching and Leadership
Teaching and mentoring are also important parts of Grunwald’s career. She has taught GIS and soil-landscape modeling courses at UF for more than two decades. She now teaches graduate courses in AI modeling and AI soil-ecosystem sensing.
Grunwald has advised 14 postdoctoral associates and hosted visiting scientists and research scholars from around the world. Her mentoring has focused on geospatial soil mapping, carbon and environmental modeling, soil spectroscopy and artificial intelligence.
Service to the profession has extended her influence beyond UF. Grunwald has provided leadership for the ASA Global Digital Soil Map community and served on the International Union of Soil Sciences’ Commission on Pedometrics. She has also held editorial roles for scientific journals and books, including Cultural Understanding of Soils.
She has organized national and international conferences and workshops focused on soil science, pedometrics and emerging technologies.
A Career of Innovation and Impact
Dr. Samira Daroub, director of the UF/IFAS Everglades Research and Education Center and SWES professor, nominated Grunwald for the ASA Fellow honor. Daroub highlighted Grunwald’s contributions across research, education, mentorship and professional service.
“Dr. Grunwald is an internationally recognized leader in pedometrics, GeoAI, digital soil mapping, and soil sensing technologies,” Daroub said. “Her career has transformed how soil resources are characterized, monitored, and managed.”
Daroub also emphasized the broader impact of Grunwald’s career. Her nomination noted contributions to technology-enhanced education, international collaboration and capacity building in soil and environmental sciences.
“Her scientific innovation, scholarly impact, educational leadership, and service to the profession make Sabine exceptionally deserving of the ASA Fellow honor,” Daroub said.
Grunwald’s professional recognition includes membership in the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), awarded in October 2022. She also received the 2023 Soil Science Research Award from the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA). Her 2023 SSSA award recognized outstanding research contributions in soil science.
“Sabine’s work exemplifies the interdisciplinary research that is advancing soil science and agronomy around the world,” said Susan Crow, professor and chair of SWES. “Her innovative contributions to digital soil mapping, AI and soil health expand our understanding of and ability to manage the soil resource.”
The ASA will recognize Grunwald and this year’s other Fellows during the CANVAS 2026 Conference. The meeting will take place Nov. 1-4 in Portland, Oregon.
Featured image above of a digital elevation model from Adobe Stock images.
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