Vodacek returning to Africa as Fulbright Scholar to advance international research on environmental monitoring of the African Great Lakes region

Rochester, New York – Imaging science professor Anthony Vodacek is preparing for a major research trip back to Africa, continuing a long-standing connection to the continent that has shaped much of his academic and scientific work over the past decade. This fall, he will take on his longest continuous stay in the region as a Fulbright Scholar, focusing on environmental monitoring across the African Great Lakes.

Vodacek’s new role will place him within the Africa Regional Research Program, where he will study how to design and evaluate a sensor network capable of tracking environmental changes across seven major lakes that stretch across 10 different countries. These lakes are among the most important freshwater systems in the world, supporting fisheries, biodiversity, transportation, agriculture, and water resources for millions of people.

Despite their importance, Vodacek points out that systematic and continuous monitoring of these lakes remains limited, leaving significant gaps in scientific understanding of how they are changing over time. His research aims to help close those gaps by developing a structured plan for a large-scale monitoring system, including technical design options, cost estimates, and recommendations that governments in the region could use to guide investment decisions.

“This Fulbright US Scholar award will allow me to collaborate directly with my hosts at Makerere University and the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization in Uganda, and with other scientists across the African Great Lakes region,” said Vodacek. “Our combined expertise across disciplines will ensure the system design is sustainable and effective under the regional conditions.”

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His work will focus not only on scientific design but also on practical implementation, drawing inspiration from existing international collaborations. One key example is the partnership between the United States and Canada in managing the North American Great Lakes, which demonstrates how multiple countries can successfully coordinate long-term environmental monitoring efforts.

The idea for Vodacek’s current project developed through his involvement with the African Center for Aquatic Research and Education (ACARE). During a meeting in Rwanda earlier this year, he learned that 2026 will mark the 100th anniversary of the first scientific exploration of Lake Victoria. That historical milestone is now inspiring a new wave of research as scientists retrace the original 1926–1927 survey work, adding a modern scientific perspective to nearly a century of environmental observation.

For Vodacek, the timing of the Fulbright project aligns closely with this renewed scientific interest in the region’s lakes. It also connects to his broader professional network. He currently serves as a global activities liaison to Sub-Saharan Africa for the IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society, a scientific advisor for Space4Innovation, and an associate editor of the Journal of Great Lakes Research.

His previous research and academic collaborations have taken him across much of the developing world, including Madagascar, Kenya, Ecuador, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Cameroon, and Ghana. These experiences, he says, have helped him build long-term relationships with researchers and institutions working on environmental and geoscience challenges.

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The Fulbright Scholars program, the U.S. government’s flagship international exchange initiative, supports academic research, teaching, and collaboration across borders. It is designed to encourage knowledge sharing and help address global challenges through scientific and cultural exchange. Vodacek’s project will take place during the upcoming fall semester.

“I’ve never taken a sabbatical, so this is the first time I’ll be doing that,” said Vodacek. “I was thinking about what I would want to do, where I would want to go, and this occurred to me. This is what I should do. It’s a big international issue, and the science like I’m doing is not nearly as common in Africa.”

As he prepares for his departure, Vodacek’s work stands at the intersection of science, international cooperation, and environmental stewardship. His research aims not only to advance academic understanding but also to provide practical tools that could help multiple nations better manage and protect some of the world’s most vital freshwater ecosystems.