Student Member Spotlight: Chiara Telli

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Student Member Spotlight
Chiara Telli

Written by: Kevin Corbley

Chiara Telli is a PhD candidate in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Sapienza University in her hometown of Rome, Italy. Her PhD research in Information and Communication Technology focuses on the applications of SAR interferometry to estimate forest structure. Chiara’s research has also taken her to Pasadena, California, where she participated in the Visiting Student Research Program at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. She became active in remote sensing technologies while working on her undergraduate degrees in Space Engineering, also at Sapienza. She joined GRSS two and half years ago at the start of her doctoral work. When she isn’t in the remote sensing lab, Chiara enjoys being in nature, often hiking and photographing wildlife.

Why did you decide to join GRSS?

I decided to join GRSS because it provides an international community of researchers, and I really enjoy interacting with people coming from different countries and backgrounds –it’s incredibily enriching. GRSS gave me the opportunity to start collaborating with people that I wouldn’t have met otherwise. That was the main motivation: to connect with an international network of researchers doing innovative work.

How do you expect GRSS experiences will assist you in your current academic pursuits?

GRSS provides a wide range of workshops, conferences, seminars as well as opportunities to interact with researchers from around the world. Thanks to these activities, I’ve been able to learn a lot of interesting things that I wouldn’t have known otherwise. I joined several seminars online, and I really appreciate GRSS’s commitment to making learning opportunities accessible, especially for young researchers. These experiences have already helped me a lot, and I am confident they will continue to do so. Conferences, in particular, provide an excellent space for students to exchange ideas, learn from experts, and become researchers.

What are some GRSS activities that you have attended or participated in?

I participated in two GRSS summer schools during my PhD. The most recent was in Benevento, Italy, in September 2025, and focused on computer vision for Earth observation. The year before, I had the opportunity to attend a summer school at Caltech in Pasadena, California. I also joined several online seminars. In addition, I attended three IGARSS Conferences – Brisbane, Athens, and Pasadena- where I presented my research and participated in some of the tutorials offered by GRSS.

Looking long term, how do you expect GRSS will benefit your professional career – whether you stay in research or go into the private sector?

I have decided to stay in research, and I will be starting a new job this month at Eurac Research in Italy. Looking ahead, I want to remain actively involved in GRSS activities and take full advantage of the opportunities it offers to young researchers. I plan to continue attending seminars, conferences and summer schools to stay updated on the new research activities.

Have your experiences in GRSS differed from what you expected in any way?

Yes, it did. I didn’t expect the community to be so open and friendly, especially toward young students. I was genuinely impressed by the support I received from more experienced researchers, who were always willing to share their knowledge. I really appreciated how inclusive and encouraging the community was. Maybe I was kind of afraid of interacting with senior researchers, but the experience was very nice and it surprised me.

In terms of upcoming GRSS events, where can people expect to see you, perhaps presenting a paper anywhere next year?

Yes, I would like to attend IGARSS 2026 in Washington, D.C., and I hope to present my work there as well. I just need to coordinate this with my new job.

What words of encouragement would you offer to other students and young people who are thinking about joining GRSS?

I would definitely recommend joining GRSS because it provides great opportunities for young students. As I said, there is no reason for students to feel intimidated as the community is extremely welcoming and supportive. If I were an undergraduate or master’s student, I would join a GRSS chapter for young researchers, as it offers a strong network and helps connect students with institutions and potential collaborators. I also highly recommend attending conferences, presenting your work, and listening to others’ presentations. It’s a valuable opportunity for learning, networking, and growing as a researcher– not only for young students, but for everybody.

Click here if you would like to learn more about Chiara and connect with her on LinkedIn:

linkedin.com/in/chiara-telli-ba1b05249

Do you know an IEEE GRSS Student Member who deserves to be recognized? We invite you to submit a nomination by sending a brief message to ir_pub@grss-ieee.org with the subject: “Student Member Spotlight.”