Omar E. Mora

My name is Omar E. Mora, and I’m an Associate Professor in the Civil Engineering Department at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. I have a background in land surveying and geomatics engineering, with degrees from Cal Poly Pomona (B.S.), Purdue University (M.S.), and The Ohio State University (Ph.D.). I'm also a licensed Professional Land Surveyor in California and hold FAA certification to operate drones commercially.

My research focuses on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), photogrammetry, Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), deep learning, and geospatial solutions for civil, construction, and environmental engineering.

I’m an active member of several professional organizations, including ASPRS, CLSA, NSPS, and ASCE, which help me stay engaged with the latest developments in the field.

I’m an educator shaped by the mentors who believed in me and guided my path. Their influence sparked not only my passion for teaching but also a deep commitment to giving back. I carry their legacy forward by sharing my knowledge, supporting others, and working to inspire the same sense of curiosity, confidence, and purpose in the next generation that my mentors inspired in me.

When I’m not in the classroom, you’ll usually find me hanging out with family and friends or enjoying some sports. I love playing soccer and cheering on my favorite teams like AC Milan, Cruz Azul, and the Columbus Crew. I’m also a big fan of the Los Angeles Lakers, Kings, Dallas Cowboys, Chicago White Sox, and The Ohio State Buckeyes so there’s always a game on my radar!

• Ph.D. Geodetic Engineering, Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering, The Ohio State University, 2015
• M.S. Geomatics Engineering, Lyles School of Civil Engineering, Purdue University, 2010
• B.S. Civil Engineering - Geospatial Engineering Option, Civil Engineering Department, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, 2007

• PLS, Professional Land Surveyor in the State of California
• sUAS, Federal Aviation Administration Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate
• Certified TOP Remote Pilot, Level 1 & 2 by the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI)

• CE 1011/1011L – Surveying Engineering & Laboratory (Undergraduate)
• CE 2011 – Technical Communications (Undergraduate)
• CE 2070 – Computer Programming and Numerical Methods (Undergraduate)
• CE 3301 – Engineering Geomatics (Undergraduate)
• CE 4301/4301L - Digital Mapping & Laboratory (Undergraduate)
• CE 4350/4350L – Photogrammetry & Laboratory (Undergraduate)
• EGR 4810/4820/4830 – Project Design Principles and Applications (Undergraduate)
• CE 5990 – Applications of Geospatial Technologies for Practitioners (Graduate)

• Cheng, W., Rogovoy, K., Sharifiilierdy, S., Mora, O., Lu, R., & Cheng, Y. (2024). Enhancing Daily Crash Count Prediction using Deep Learning with Window Size Selection and Seasonality Predictor Integration. Transportation Research Record, 2679(3), 1037-1053. https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981241287193 (Original work published 2025)
• Truong, L. N. H., Clay, E., Mora, O. E., Cheng, W., Singh, M., & Jia, X. (2022). Rotated Mask Region-Based Convolutional Neural Network Detection for Parking Space Management System. Transportation Research Record, 2677(1), 1564-1581. https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981221105066 (Original work published 2023)
• Truong, L. N. H., Mora, O. E., Cheng, W., Tang, H., & Singh, M. (2021). Deep Learning to Detect Road Distress from Unmanned Aerial System Imagery. Transportation Research Record, 2675(9), 776-788. https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981211004973 (Original work published 2021)
• McMahon, C., Mora, O. E., & Starek, M. J. (2021). Evaluating the Performance of sUAS Photogrammetry with PPK Positioning for Infrastructure Mapping. Drones, 5(2), 50. https://doi.org/10.3390/drones5020050
• Mora, O. E., Langford, M., Mislang, R., Josenhans, R., & Chen, J. (2020). Precision performance evaluation of RTK and RTN solutions: a case study. Journal of Spatial Science, 67(3), 473–486. https://doi.org/10.1080/14498596.2020.1837686