About Me

Dr. Tarendra Lakhankar is an accomplished researcher with a strong academic background and a wealth of experience in the fields of environmental engineering, remote sensing, and data analytics. Despite growing up in a poor family in a small village near Tumsar, Dr. Lakhankar was determined to achieve his dreams, and he pursued a diploma in civil engineering, ultimately earning a Bachelor of Engineering from SGGSIE&T, Nanded, and M.Tech. from VNIT, Nagpur.  Dr. Lakhankar’s passion for research led him to pursue a PhD in Civil Engineering (Water Resources) from The Graduate Center of the City University of New York in 2006, following which he worked as a NOAA-postdoctoral scientist at CIRA in Colorado State University. He has since become a researcher in the field of remote sensing, using advanced mathematical and statistical methods such as neural networks, fuzzy logic, and machine learning to process and mine environmental satellite and meteorological datasets and field observations. He is a mentor to PhD, MS, BE, and middle/high school students in New York City and was inspired by the character of Rancho from the movie “3 Idiots”.
He is also the Director of the Environmental Remote Sensing and Data Analytics Lab and has taught various courses related to remote sensing, GIS, and Earth System Sciences at the City University of New York. One of Dr. Lakhankar’s notable achievements is designing and executing operational remote sensing-based field campaigns for snow and soil moisture, which were used to calibrate and validate NOAA and NASA’s satellite missions to enhance forecast algorithms for climate and hydrological applications. He has also worked on various research projects related to flash flood warning systems, snow characterization and product development, urban hydro-meteorological testbeds, and climate adaptation strategies for human and livestock populations. Dr. Lakhankar has coordinated, collaborated, and organized international and national-level conferences and meetings related to climate and remote sensing.  He has also served as an editor for international journals and reviewed manuscripts for several journals. Dr. Lakhankar’s dedication to scientific research and his passion for community outreach has been recognized through the S.T.A.R. Award in 2022, for his service and dedication to the City College of New York.