Dan Blumberg
Dan G. Blumberg is a professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Development at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and currently serves as Vice-President and Dean for Research and Development and Director of the Homeland Security Institute. He is also director of the Earth and Planetary Image Facility, a remote sensing research laboratory. [1] [2]
Education
Blumberg earned a Ph.D. from Arizona State University (1993) where he studied and worked in the Planetary Geology Group and focused on aeolian processes (wind-blown sand transport and deposition) and microwave radar remote sensing. The topic of His Ph.D. thesis was "Prediction of Aeolian Processes using Radar Remote Sensing and Numerical Models". In his thesis he used AIRSAR data in preparation for NASA's upcoming Spaceborne Radar Laboratory Mission (SRL-1 and 2). Blumberg's Ph.D. Advisors were Ronald Greeley and Anthony Brazel.
Career
Blumberg joined BGU in 1996 at the as a lecturer in the Department of Geography and Environmental Development. He developed the field of remote sensing within the Department of Geography and Environmental Development and has been a key player together with scientists from the Faculty of Engineering and The Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research in turning BGU into a world-renowned research institute in the field.
In 2004 Blumberg was promoted to Associate Professor. Between 2006 and 2010 he served as Chair of the Department of Geography and Environmental Development before being appointed to Deputy VP and Dean for R&D. In 2008 Blumberg was promoted to the level of full Professor. In 2014 Blumberg Vice President for Research of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Research and students
Blumberg has published numerous scientific papers and has supervised more than 30 Ph.D. and masters students. His research spans a wide arena of remote sensing applications. His primary scientific research interest has been in Planetary geology and the use of remote sensing to study arid zone environment but in the process impacted upon other applications such homeland security,[3] rapid response,[4] target and anomaly detection and situational awareness. Blumberg was a Co-Investigator on the SRL (SIR-C mission) through Prof. Ronald Greeley of Arizona State University who was a PI on the mission. Blumberg has served as a P.I. on many research projects for the Israel Space Agency, through the German Space Agency and more. In his research he has combined field studies with the use of remote sensing data. Blumberg has always promoted the philosophy that understanding satellite images requires scientists to have a strong field background. In his own research he has conducted field work in the North American Deserts, the Central Asian Deserts and in the Middle East. Blumberg has also promoted the involvement of students in community outreach as a way to spread the scientific knowledge gathered in the University.