Spirit of Maine Achievement Award
Dr. Fatemeh Afghah ’13 has been selected to receive the Spirit of Maine Achievement Award, which honors University of Maine alumni who, within fifteen years of graduation, have achieved outstanding professional, scholarly, and public impact. Dr. Afghah’s accomplishments reflect the strength of her UMaine education and her continued commitment to applying advanced research in ways that serve communities and protect natural resources.
Dr. Afghah earned her doctoral degree at the University of Maine, where she distinguished herself as an exceptional scholar and emerging leader. The foundation she built at UMaine has shaped a career defined by innovation, collaboration, and purpose. Today, she is a tenured Associate Professor at Clemson University, where her research in artificial intelligence, wireless communication, and autonomous systems has earned national and international recognition.
A defining focus of Dr. Afghah’s work is the development of intelligent unmanned aerial systems for wildfire detection and disaster response. By integrating artificial intelligence with networks of autonomous drones, her research enables earlier wildfire detection, improved monitoring of fire behavior, and better coordination for first responders operating in dangerous conditions. Her teams have worked closely with organizations such as CAL FIRE, the U.S. Forest Service, and NASA to translate cutting-edge research into tools that help save lives, protect ecosystems, and reduce the devastating impacts of wildfires.
Dr. Afghah has secured more than $20 million in competitive research funding, including over $8 million as Principal Investigator or lead on multi-institutional projects supported by the National Science Foundation and NASA. She has authored more than 180 peer-reviewed publications and holds six U.S. patents. Her achievements have been recognized with major honors including the NSF CAREER Award and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research Young Investigator Award.
Beyond her research, Dr. Afghah is deeply committed to mentorship and inclusive leadership, fostering environments where students and early-career researchers, particularly women and those from underrepresented backgrounds, can thrive. Her work elevates the reputation of the University of Maine and embodies the innovation, impact, and service celebrated by the Spirit of Maine Achievement Award.