About This Course
RS506 will introduce the theoretical basis and practical application of Passive and Active
Thermal and Microwave Remote Sensing (PATMRS) and allow students to achieve a basic level of competency
in processing PATMRS synthetic-image data.
The course content is designed for students
with minimum experience in the remote sensing field and is suitable for
advanced undergraduate and introductory-level graduate students with mathematical
knowledge through differential and integral calculus. Content will be tailored for the nonphysical
science user-community perspective such as anthropological, biological,
environmental, geographical and computer sciences. A contextual survey of remote sensing
technology and its history will be followed by a detailed introduction to the fundamental
physics of passive and active thermal and microwave remote sensing including domain
transition from the Planck equation to the Rayleigh-Jeans approximation. Students will be
introduced to applications of airborne and spaceborne PATMRS data collection, data-based
synthetic-image production, processing, analysis and interpretation, techniques and
technology, and multispectral analysis.
Content will conclude with an introduction to
principles of LIDAR image analysis and applications. The course will be taught with an
emphasis on applied remote sensing reinforced with practical assignments, and is
meant to develop a broad understanding of the PATMRS field and applications in other areas
of study. It should provide students with an understanding of the basic skills and
methodologies used in PATMRS and applications using a suite of free software tools.
Course Staff
Dr. Linda Hayden
Linda Hayden is a Professor at Elizabeth City State University where she leads cyberinfrastructure activities for the NSF Science and Technology Center CReSIS, the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets. She is also a leader of ADMI, the Association of Computer and Information Science/Engineering Departments at Minority Institutions, which is a CReSIS partner. Professor Hayden is an NSF Presidential Awardee for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring in 2003 and was awarded a 2009 National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO) NOBLE Prize. Dr. Hayden will not only serve as instructor of record for the RS 506 course but she will work collaboratively with the ADMI board to include a faculty workshop and a student workshop devoted to this project at their Spring 2016 conference.
Mr. Edward Swindell
Mr. Swindell is a research associate with the Center of Excellence in Remote Sensing Education and Research (CERSER) at ECSU. He is a professional archaeolgist and research associate with the First Colony Foundation and currently works for the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
Dr. Malcolm LeCompte
Dr. LeCompte received his Ph.D. in Astrophysical, Planetary and Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Colorado in 1984 and did post-doctoral research at Harvard College Observatory.
As a systems scientist for Aerodyne Research, Inc., he managed and did research and development work for Department of Defense sponsored programs related to a variety of electro-optical remote sensing technologies.
