Student Member Spotlight: Dylan Lopez

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Student Member Spotlight
Dylan Lopez

Written by: Madeleine Dawson

Raised in Makati, Philippines, Dylan Josh Lopez is in the final year of his PhD program within the Electrical Engineering Department at Chung Yuan Christian University in Taiwan. His research focuses on quantum computing for electrical power systems for strategic planning and economic studies by local governments. Dylan leverages geospatial data to plan renewable energy integration operations. He moved to Taiwan after receiving his Master’s Degree in Computer Engineering with a focus on sensor development. In his spare time, Dylan travels to remote villages to taste local cuisine which he then tries to recreate in his own kitchen at home. He also volunteers his time the GRSS Philippines Chapter and participates in leadership roles within a local quantum computing society. He joined GRSS in 2024.

Why did you decide to join GRSS?

I wanted to know more about the community, about the professional work that’s being done now in geospatial sciences and sensing. I work mainly with electrical engineers [involving] a lot of schematics and simulations, but there is really a need to know more about the data to gain other perspectives on working in application areas. So, knowing the community, the data access and the research being done by the community are essential to get a new perspective on quality research in my area. Also, I heard about the GRSS Quantum Earth Science and Technology (QUEST) Technical Committee, which I am interested in joining.

How is your GRSS experience assisting you in your current academic research?

Getting to know all the novel techniques out there – the technical know-how in remote sensing that is relevant to my field. Learning [about these things] in conferences and other outreach activities is really essential in helping me develop research for my degree. Also, being prepared for the industry that comes after the academic discipline and after graduation is important.

What are specific GRSS activities that you’ve already taken advantage of and that you plan to take advantage of in the future?

My main interest is international conferences such as IGARSS. I briefly attended IGARSS 2025 in Australia, and my research was presented there by a colleague. I’m already preparing a paper on Quantum Computing for IGARSS 2026. So, I’m really excited to share that as well with the community. The networking [at IGARSS] is important and attendees also get to present their work, get critique from the community. This is really helpful to make mature research now and in the future. Also, I am helping with the Philippine GRSS chapter and looking forward to Winter Camps at the end of the year [because] these camps are where we can help more people get to know how to use what is remote sensing and how to put that in a regional context. [Like the GRSS Summer School], Winter Camps are quite popular because Philippines have a very long vacation near Christmas. So, GRSS has a lot more time to [engage] with the community during Winter.

How do you anticipate GRSS benefiting you in the professional stage of your career after you get your PhD?

GRSS helps me to get to know the options out there for young professionals like me in PhD programs and understanding there are opportunities outside academia. For instance, learning there are startups in a lot of industries supporting space and remote sensing technology. Getting to see that option helps, and receiving guidance during the networking events at the conferences has helped so much in preparing and planning for what could I do next, and maybe even getting offers from connections.

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

I’ve been expecting a lot, since it’s an IEEE society. Even though I have a lot of great expectations, all of those have been met because it’s quite a mature society with a vibrant community that is quite inclusive from what I’ve been seeing. It’s really great!

In addition to IGARSS 2026 in Washington DC, what other GRSS events can people hope to see you in person in the near future?

IGARSS 2026 is the main thing I am planning this year since I’m finishing up my PhD. But I’m quite open to any other events. So, if anyone has invitations to collaborate and to participate in an event, I’m willing to be there as well. Outside of GRSS, I will participate in IEEE Quantum Week 2026 [Sept. 13-18] in Toronto, Canada.

What words of encouragement would you offer to other students who were thinking about GRSS membership but haven’t joined yet?

Everyone, you should join! It’s a really vibrant community. If you’re looking at how to use technology, or even just exploring what technologies could be helpful for your dissertation – or to make a societal impact – GRSS helps you see those opportunities, those application areas. [Plus], there is that great support from the community. Knowing what could be done in different societies would really help you in developing your dissertation. Getting to see that experience – getting to learn more outside your domain – really helps.

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.”