Meha Jain, an associate professor in the University of Michigan's School for Environment and Sustainability, has won the inaugural ASU–Science Prize for Transformational Impact. A partnership between Arizona State University and the prestigious research publication Science, the ASU-Science Prize recognizes work that doesn’t just advance knowledge, but also demonstrably serves society. 

Jain earned the award for her research that uses satellite imagery and machine learning to reveal how smallholder farms, which are essential for food security for millions of people, adapt to climate stress. Her team also examines how those adaptations can carry hidden costs. These insights can then help develop tools for farmers to increase food production in an environmentally sustainable way.

Although she relies on advanced technology to do her work, Jain has always found her motivation rooted in understanding the realities faced by smallholder farmers and their communities. Since before joining U-M, Jain has engaged with farmers and local organizations to understand their most pressing challenges. Today, those relationships are guiding what kinds of satellite datasets she and her team develop and what patterns they look for at scale.

"Most of my research questions are informed by what we or our collaborators see on the ground," Jain said. "Having that real-world interaction is incredibly motivating."

In her work in India, in particular, one recurring theme surprised her. In many communities, farmers told her they were increasingly relying on groundwater to cope with changing rainfall and rising temperatures, even though they knew this wasn’t sustainable.

"What really struck me was that this wasn't a knowledge gap," Jain said. "Farmers understood the long-term consequences of using groundwater for irrigation. It was the circumstances they were in that left them with few alternatives."

That insight reshaped her research. Rather than asking whether farmers were overusing groundwater, Jain wanted to know how widespread the practice was and where it posed the greatest risks. 

Using satellite data, her team developed novel methods to detect irrigation practices across entire regions to understand real-world farm management and its impacts on both crop production and the environment. 

The results were sobering. In some areas, groundwater depletion was far more severe than previously understood. In others, differences in aquifers or historical practices meant the situation was less dire.

This ability to see nuance at scale has become a defining feature of Jain’s work. Her research has revealed tradeoffs that complicate easy narratives about climate adaptation. In some cases, practices that help farmers cope with short-term climate stress accelerate long-term groundwater loss. 

In scaling up local observations to show a more complete picture across a region, Jain's work has made the magnitude of these risks impossible to ignore. At the same time, however, that picture is necessary to develop the most impactful solutions, she said.

"We can start to think more proactively about sustainable management strategies for the future,” Jain said.

Looking ahead, she envisions being able to provide precision insights for individual farms. Data should help identify not just what works, she said, but where it works best. In recent years, that vision has helped push her work from analysis toward direct support. Jain and her collaborators are developing a smartphone app designed to deliver satellite-derived insights back to farmers and organizations in usable ways. 

When she began her career, she saw satellites primarily as tools for observation. Over time, as sensors improved and partnerships deepened, her sense of obligation evolved. “I became more excited about creating data products that could actually be used,” Jain said.

She hopes the ASU–Science Prize sends a signal to other scientists—especially those early in their careers—that rigorous science and societal impact are not competing goals. 

“Follow what motivates you,” Jain said. “Don’t worry so much about what you think will be a high-impact paper. Work on the problems that make you want to show up every day.”

This article originally appeared in the University Record. 

The original article appeared on the Science website.