Biography and Mission Statement
for
Robert E. Ryan
ASPRS PDAD Assistant Director Nominee
Biography
Robert Ryan is the Chief Scientist of the Geosystems Research Institute (GRI) Small
Satellite Program at Mississippi State University where he performs research on remote
sensing applications of small satellites. Dr. Ryan is also one of the founders of the startup
company Innovative Imaging and Research focused on novel applications of solid state
lighting and imaging systems.
Dr. Ryan has authored over 40 publications and reports. He has earned 9 U.S. patents and
has four pending in the fields of optics and sensors. Dr. Ryan received a Ph.D. in Physics
from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, a M.S. in Electrophysics from the
Polytechnic Institute of New York and a B.S. in Physics from Hofstra University. Dr.
Ryan has recently been an adjunct faculty member at the University of New Orleans
Electrical Engineering department and previously was an adjunct faculty member at
Hofstra University and a visiting faculty member at Stony Brook.
Previously Dr. Ryan worked for Lockheed Martin and Science Systems and Applications
Incorporated supporting the NASA Stennis Space Center in Mississippi developing the
Instrument Validation Laboratory which focused on the verification and validation of
high spatial resolution commercial and government imaging systems. His research
primarily focused on radiometric calibration and spatial resolution evaluation of electrooptical imaging systems. Dr. Ryan has also supported thermal and spatial resolution trade
studies for the NASA Landsat Data Continuity Mission.
While at Lockheed Martin, he served as the American Society of Photogrammetry
Primary Data Acquisition Division Digital Imagery Guideline Chairman. Dr Ryan has
received a NASA Silver Snoopy award for Return-to-Flight activities and the Lockheed
Martin Space Operations 2001 Top Flight Award for Leadership.
Prior to moving to Mississippi, Dr. Ryan worked for the Northrop Grumman Corporate
Research and Development Center where he developed satellite based missile warning
systems, hyperspectral and ultraspectral imaging systems, biological and chemical
weapon sensors, laser warning systems and UAV sensor payloads.
Biography and Mission Statement for Robert E. Ryan
1
Mission Statement
The Primary Data Acquisition Division (PDAD) mission is to support the ASPRS
mission in the field of data acquisition, namely with sensors, systems, subsystems,
platforms and data processing strategies, and procedures.
Over the past 10 years, I have been contributing to the ASPRS and remote sensing
communities by relating acquired data parameters to applications and by characterizing
data products and new systems. Supporting NASA, I lead the development of the
Application Research Toolbox a set of analytical tools to perform parametric trade
studies to determine the impact of SNR, spatial resolution, and spectral resolution on
various applications. This tool has contributed to the development of LDCM data
specifications.
I have previously served as the PDAD Digital Imagery Guideline Chairman. I have also
contributed to the development of characterization techniques for the US government and
have supported the USGS Digital Aerial Type Certification process and the USGS InFlight Product Characterization Range at the NASA Stennis Space Center.
If elected, I will work together with the Director and the ASPRS community to
reinvigorate the Digital Imagery Guidelines, further the establishment of standards, and
quality assurance processes, and develop a better understanding of the impacts of data
quality on remote sensing applications for imaging and lidar systems.
Biography and Mission Statement for Robert E. Ryan
2