As a group leader and senior research scientist at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Dalton Lunga leads the Lab’s Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI) group, which leverages high-performance computing, machine learning, and computer vision to create foundational geospatial analytic methods enabling at scale data generation to shed light on patterns of life and aid in crisis management. His efforts to generate accurate population estimates and information about urban growth and decline, for example, inform disaster response, identify at-risk areas, and address infrastructure needs.
Lunga received a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Purdue University, West Lafayette. Prior to joining ORNL in 2016, he worked at South Africa’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. His career journey, he says, is indebted to many mentors who served as guides along the way.
Read below how mentoring shaped Lunga’s career path and about the rewards it offers to new and seasoned professionals.
I am passionate about serving and giving back my time to help others develop professionally. I am fortunate to have a fulfilling career. When I reflect on my personal journey, I am indebted to many who were kind in their own ways to serve as guides along the way. Today, I’m grateful to be in a position to do the same and find mentoring incredibly rewarding. Engaging younger generations is one of the best ways to stay sharp in your field and expand professional networks that fuel opportunities and advance new discoveries.
The successes I have achieved along the way remind me of the value of mentorship and its role in promoting growth at critical development stages. Past experiences with several mentors, for example my master’s program advisor at Witwatersrand University, Professor Tshilidzi Marwala, helped me choose paths of study to an abroad graduate school program and make informed decisions when considering employment opportunities.
I am reminded of a famous proverb – To know the road ahead, ask those coming back. For less experienced individuals, mentors serve as dynamic repositories of advanced knowledge and experience, full of insights and information that help the mentee navigate the road ahead of them.
My advice for mentees in choosing a mentor is to pick someone with whom you feel comfortable and who will hold you accountable. As a mentee, receiving feedback is essential so that you can adjust for better progress. You should also look for a mentor who can help you expand your professional connections. Pick a mentor who is going to have time and an invested interest in your growth. It is also important to pick someone you can serve in return. The best mentoring relationships are lasting connections. I have stayed in touch with most of my previous mentors and have acquired new mentors along the way. We co-organize events, and I have made time to help guide their students. One of the most rewarding parts of mentoring is the way roles evolve and shape more than just your own career.
