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Leila Character

Doctoral student in Geography, The University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts
Leila Character (previously Donn) is a PhD student in the Department of Geography and the Environment at the University of Texas at Austin focused on using machine learning and remotely sensed imagery to identify archaeological and natural features. Her work seeks to bridge the gap between earth scientists with on-the-ground problems and computer scientists that are working on cutting edge technology that can help address these problems. Leila’s work includes partners from academia, federal government, and private industry. Her current archaeology-focused projects include a shipwreck identification model being completed in partnership with the US Navy, a Maya archaeological feature identification model (that includes caves) being completed in partnership with a group of archaeologists that work in Guatemala and Mexico, and an ancient burial mound identification model being completed with a group of archaeologists that work in Romania.

She also works at an artificial intelligence start-up on a project that uses a similar methodology for a different application focused on building a multi-species tree and health status classifier using hyperspectral imagery collected by drone. Prior to beginning her PhD, she completed a master’s degree in the same department at the University of Texas focused on the use of lidar and geoarchaeological methods to study the land-use patterns of the ancient Maya in north-central Belize. Her B.S. is in geology with a minor in anthropology focused on archaeology. Between receiving her B.S. and M.A. she worked for five years as a geologist and environmental scientist in Alaska, Texas, and Tennessee. You can contact Leila at [email protected], check out her website at https://leiladonn.wixsite.com/leiladonn, and follow her on Instagram for research updates at @leiladonn.

AI spots shipwrecks from the ocean surface – and even from the air

Jul 24, 2021 06:07 am UTC| Technology

The big idea In collaboration with the United States Navys Underwater Archaeology Branch, I taught a computer how to recognize shipwrecks on the ocean floor from scans taken by aircraft and ships on the surface. The...

Economy

Asian Markets Slide as New U.S. Strikes on Iran Spark Investor Caution

Asian stock markets declined on Thursday as renewed U.S. military strikes on Iran weakened investor confidence and raised concerns over escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The latest attacks reduced hopes...

U.S. Sanctions Iran’s Strait of Hormuz Authority as Global Oil Markets Face Turmoil

The United States has imposed new sanctions on the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, the organization established by Iran to oversee transit requests through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a statement released by the U.S....

ECB’s Philip Lane Warns Middle East Conflict Could Keep Inflation Elevated

European Central Bank Chief Economist Philip Lane warned that the ongoing Middle East conflict could create long-lasting inflationary pressure, even if the war is resolved quickly. Speaking at a conference hosted by the...

Mega IPOs Like SpaceX and OpenAI Could Reshape S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 Portfolios in 2026

Large mutual funds and passive index funds are increasing cash reserves and preparing to reduce exposure to existing large-cap stocks ahead of several expected blockbuster IPOs in 2026, including SpaceX, OpenAI, and...

South Korea Central Bank Holds Interest Rates Steady Amid Inflation Concerns

The Bank of Korea (BOK) kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 2.5% on Thursday, matching market expectations as policymakers remain cautious about rising inflation risks and global economic uncertainty linked to...

Politics

DOJ Opens Criminal Investigation Into E. Jean Carroll Over Alleged Perjury

The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation into writer E. Jean Carroll, who accused U.S. President Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her in the mid-1990s, according to a source familiar with the...

Baltic Drone Incidents Raise NATO Security Concerns

Recent Ukrainian drone incursions into Baltic airspace have increased regional tensions and raised new concerns about NATO security near Russias borders. The incidents come as Ukraine intensifies long-range drone attacks...

U.S.-China Taiwan Conflict Could Trigger Nuclear Escalation, IISS Warns

A potential military conflict between the United States and China over Taiwan could escalate into a nuclear confrontation, according to a new report released by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). The...

Hamas Commander Mohammad Odeh Killed in Gaza as Israel Intensifies Campaign

Israels military campaign in Gaza escalated further after Hamas armed wing chief Mohammad Odeh was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City. The targeted strike came just days after the death of senior Hamas commander...

U.S. Reinstates Sanctions on U.N. Expert Francesca Albanese Amid Legal Battle

The United States has officially restored sanctions against Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur on the Palestinian territories, according to an updated notice published by the U.S. Treasury Department...

Science

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

Technology

Marvell Stock Rises After Record Q1 FY2027 Earnings Fueled by AI Demand

Marvell Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MRVL) posted stronger-than-expected first-quarter fiscal 2027 results, driven by booming demand for AI infrastructure and data center solutions. The semiconductor company reported record...

Snowflake Stock Soars 30% After Q1 Earnings Beat and Major AWS AI Partnership

Snowflake Inc. (NYSE: SNOW) delivered a strong first-quarter performance that surpassed Wall Street expectations, sending the companys stock soaring nearly 30% in after-hours trading. The cloud-based AI Data Cloud company...

Salesforce Q1 FY2027 Earnings Beat Expectations Despite Soft Q2 Revenue Outlook

Salesforce (NYSE: CRM) reported stronger-than-expected first-quarter fiscal 2027 earnings on Wednesday, driven by solid demand for its AI-powered enterprise solutions and continued growth in its cloud-based CRM business....

HP Q2 2026 Earnings Beat Expectations Despite Memory Chip Pressure

HP Inc. (NYSE: HPQ) reported stronger-than-expected fiscal second-quarter 2026 results, surpassing Wall Street estimates on both earnings and revenue. However, HP stock slipped slightly in after-hours trading as investors...

Synopsys Q2 FY2026 Earnings Beat Driven by AI and Semiconductor Demand

Synopsys (NASDAQ: SNPS) reported stronger-than-expected second-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings on Wednesday, fueled by rising demand for semiconductor design software and AI-powered engineering solutions. The electronic...