Announcements

1. Could you briefly introduce yourself and tell us about your field of research?
My name is Levente Juhász. Currently, I am an Assistant Professor of geospatial analytics at the University of Florida. Broadly speaking, my research is at the intersection of geographic information science and modern computing and data sciences. My early research focused on understanding the quality and properties of user-generated data. I am fascinated by projects like OpenStreetMap and the dynamics of volunteerism. Beyond that, I have always been drawn to unconventional, less-explored topics. I have published on “Null Island”, “cartographic vandalism”, and the geospatial implications of “Pokémon GO”. Lately, my interests have shifted toward cloud-native technology and fundamental questions in GeoAI. 

2. Congratulations on winning the IJGI Young Investigator Award! How do you feel about winning the award?
I am honored to receive this recognition. I recently started a new position at the University of Florida after spending seven years as Research Faculty at Florida International University. Establishing my new lab, the Geospatial Analytics, Technology and Open Research (GATOR) Lab at UF, is a very exciting challenge. External recognition like the IJGI Young Investigator Award is very welcome. It provides feedback that my research direction is relevant. I see this as a significant boost to research productivity and visibility, which will ultimately elevate my lab's impact. 

3. Could you share your experiences of collaborating with the ISPRS IJGI journal?
I have collaborated with IJGI on several projects. I have been involved in organizing four Special Issues. The journal has also recognized my previous work: I received 1st prize for the Outstanding Reviewer Award in 2019, and my research on cartographic vandalism was featured as a cover story and won the Jack Dangermond Best Paper of 2020 Award.

4. What makes IJGI different from other journals in the field and why should a scholar choose to collaborate with our journal?
Speaking from my own experience, I have benefited greatly from collaborating with IJGI. I was familiar with the journal from having published a paper in graduate school. After graduation, I started reviewing quite a few papers for IJGI. This was a fantastic opportunity to be able to stay informed about the latest research developments. Also, as an early career researcher, I did not have established external funding and institutional support was very limited, so receiving APC vouchers for my reviewer service was quite significant and allowed me to publish open access. As I already mentioned, I also got involved in organizing Special Issues which introduced me to the other side of scholarly publishing. Editing a Special Issue, managing and evaluating review reports and ultimately having the responsibility to make decisions on what should be published is a great responsibility. I gained a different perspective on our field. I think what made a difference for me is being able to engage in all these activities so early in my career, which in turn allowed me to grow and evolve as a scientist and good academic citizen. I don’t know many other journals that provide opportunities like this for early career researchers.

5. Which research topics do you think will be of particular interest to the research community in the coming years?
I really believe that we are at a transformative moment due to the rapid evolution of generative AI. I believe our responsibility as scientists is to evaluate these tools with the same rigor we apply to traditional methods. I am particularly excited about the potential of Agentic AI in geospatial contexts, where GenAI is coupled with autonomous agentic workflows. Furthermore, geo-foundation models and even “small world models” are very exciting. In the coming years I expect that a lot of research effort will be put into these topics.
The pace of this development is really unprecedented. I often see that it creates a mentality that can favor speed over depth. My approach (and recommendation) would be deliberate research over speed. For someone like me who tends to get excited about new technologies, methods and data, it requires a conscious effort to resist jumping on every emerging trend and instead maintain the integrity that defines good science. I want to believe that in the coming years real value won’t just come from “being the first”, but from being the one who rigorously validates reliability and ethical application in the real world. 

6. Looking ahead, what are your main goals or plans for the future?
My primary goal is to fully launch the GATOR Lab. I am hiring my first graduate students for the Fall 2026 semester and another for Spring 2027. We will focus on defining our research culture. I am very excited about training the next generation of geospatial scientists. Professionally, the lab is already involved in an EPA-funded project developing data-driven technologies to help coastal professionals prepare for sea-level rise. As the University of Florida is a public institution, it is very important to us that our research and science actually benefit Floridians and society as a whole. The GATOR Lab will be committed to open science principles.
On the research front, I am focusing on Discrete Global Grid Systems (DGGS). I have several publications lined up on this topic and am eager to use the freedom of my new role to explore how these systems can harmonize heterogeneous geospatial data more efficiently than traditional frameworks. 

7. What advice would you give to early career researchers or young scientists who are just starting their academic journeys?
Be kind to yourself. You can only perform to your full potential if you take care of your physical and mental health. Working until exhaustion is not a badge of honor but it is a sign of imbalance. Allow yourself to take breaks and recharge. This is the single most important advice I can only hope will be heard.
Additionally, do not fear failure. It is a fundamental part of the scientific process, and I guarantee that you’ll learn a lot from negative results, failed experiments, or exploring ideas that don’t result in publications, presentations, or grants. Explore difficult questions and maintain your curiosity, but above everything, commit to integrity. It is easy to lose sight of why we chose this path while managing deadlines, budgets, conflicting commitments, etc., but it is very important to stop and look at the big picture sometimes. Scientific impact is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s not supposed to be fast so you can allow yourself to slow down.