Hunter Hong
Geospatial Scientist & Solutions Architect
h@hunter.bz
hunter.sc
github.com/HunterDrover
Los Angeles, California
Summary
Geospatial scientist and solutions architect who designs systems that transform Earth-observation data, spatial information, and uncertain evidence into validated decision products for mission-critical environments. Thirteen years in U.S. Air Force Special Warfare; M.S. Human Security and Geospatial Intelligence, USC Spatial Sciences Institute. Methodology lead for a federal GEOINT methodology under the USC–NGA CRADA; product, architecture, and capture experience across special operations, theater cyber, and applied research.
Capabilities
- Remote sensing
- Spectral analysis · imagery interpretation · change detection · Landsat, Sentinel, MODIS/VIIRS, hyperspectral, thermal · radiometric calibration
- Spatial data science
- Bayesian inference · evidential reasoning (Dempster–Shafer) · entity resolution · Monte Carlo · spatial statistics · network analysis · calibration
- Geospatial engineering
- ArcGIS Pro, Enterprise, Online · ArcPy · Python · R · KNIME · TensorFlow, PyTorch · Drone2Map · 3D Analyst · Space Time Pattern Mining
- Systems
- Reference architecture · DoDAF · CONOPS · federated systems · knowledge graphs · bi-temporal models · APIs · sensor integration · SIEM and CEF
- Validation
- Uncertainty quantification · probability calibration · sensitivity · inter-rater reliability · QA gates · provenance and lineage · CE95 · ISO 19157 · RMF
Experience
2025–2026
USC–NGA Cooperative Research and Development Agreement
Methodology Lead / Principal Architect, CBO–TGRA
- Originated and architected a four-stage GEOINT methodology to identify and prioritize parcels with foreign or foreign beneficial ownership near U.S. critical infrastructure: configurable spatial universe, calibrated Ownership Confidence Score, independent Geometric Risk Score, terminal fusion.
- Designed the evidence model (Bayesian belief networks, Noisy-OR, Dempster–Shafer with Yager), three-tier entity resolution, Monte Carlo viewshed and chokepoint modalities, a bi-temporal knowledge architecture across 42+ sources, and stage-specific validation.
- Authored the technical specification; built KNIME, Python, ArcPy, and Esri components; briefed NGA's Director of Counterintelligence; implementing the Washington, DC validation pilot.
2019–2020
Elysian Labs
Product Manager, tactical human-machine interaction
- Translated special-operations workflows into functional requirements, interface behavior, integration assumptions, and acceptance conditions for CRUX, a programmable hardened controller integrated with ATAK.
- Evaluated prototypes under field conditions, classified failures by root cause, separated platform capability from customer implementation, and contributed to pre-RFP capture and federal proposals.
2018–2019
Insight Engines
Solutions and product, cybersecurity domain
- Expanded the semantic layer of a natural-language investigation platform on Splunk; decomposed analyst questions into intent, entities, CIM fields, and telemetry dependencies; specified data readiness by coverage, normalization, freshness, and completeness.
2008–2018
Defense and intelligence
Mission systems · architecture · operations
U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, J63 · C2IM / ArcSight
- Contributed capability-gap analysis, data-source mapping, DoDAF definitions, reference architecture, and the classified CONOPS for a federated theater cyber situational-awareness architecture; supported the EOC-Pacific pilot under an Interim Authority to Test.
Combined Joint Task Force–Horn of Africa, J39
- Primary technical author of the winning response to an approximately $4M annual O&M requirement for geospatial media analysis, with requirement-to-deliverable traceability.
United States Air Force · Special Warfare, 13 years
- Collection planning under weather and timing constraints; communications discipline; operations under limited attention.
Selected work
- CBO–TGRA: Parcel Intelligence Under Uncertainty. Four-stage GEOINT methodology, 42+ sources, evidential reasoning, Monte Carlo geometry, validation architecture, interactive Stage 0 explorer. hunter.sc/work/cbo-tgra/
- CRUX + ATAK: Geospatial Interaction for Constrained Environments. Mission discovery, workflow decomposition, requirements, integration architecture, prototype validation. hunter.sc/work/crux-atak/
- Spectral Signatures / VineVision. Remote sensing of grapevine water stress evaluated against plant physiology; confidence-gated decision platform, Landsat 9 and UAS workflows, benefit-cost case. hunter.sc/work/spectral-signatures/
- C2IM: From Fragmented Telemetry to Mission-Centered Information Architecture. Federated reference architecture, CEF normalization, correlation, mission-dependency modeling, RMF-aware pilot. hunter.sc/work/c2im/
Education
2026
University of Southern California, Spatial Sciences Institute
M.S. Human Security and Geospatial Intelligence
Geospatial intelligence tradecraft · remote sensing for GIS · spatial systems and product design · human security and disaster management
Presentations and writing
- Categorizing Chaos: Tropical Cyclones. ArcGIS StoryMap, LA Geospatial Summit, 2025.
- Sudan Food Security GEOINT StoryMap. Team submission to the LA Geospatial Summit with faculty endorsement; submission lead.
- Spectral Signatures in the Vineyard. Structured review of 2015–2025 research on remote sensing of grapevine water stress, 2025.
- Camp Fire After-Action Analysis (2024); CBO–TGRA technical specification; published analysis on agriculture and national security.