My research interests lie in the area of ocean and atmosphere boundary layer interactions and how to detect, monitor, and model these processes. This includes work with microwave ocean remote sensing techniques, satellite and field measurements related to surface wind, wind wave and air-sea fluxes, and the role of carbon dioxide gas exchange in the global carbon cycle including biological and physical controls for this exchange. I've received a Bachelor's degree in Physics from Hope College (1986), a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering from the Microwave Remote Sensing Laboratory at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst (1998), and a Ph.D. in Earth Science from the University of New Hampshire (2005). Prior to joining the EOS/OPAL faculty, I worked as a research engineer and scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center from 1990 to 2005.

Much of my research stems from early involvement with ocean wave remote sensing programs while at NASA including aircraft measurements made with the Radar Ocean Wave Spectrometer, a system that accurately mapped ocean waves from flight altitudes as high as 10 km and that was used to test the global wave measurement capability of several space borne synthetic aperture radar systems in the 1990s. I've participated in numerous field campaigns designed to improve the observation and modeling of the effects of wind on ocean wave generation and ocean circulation; this using both active and passive microwave remote sensors. At present, I am involved in a global-scale wind wave research project directed at improving how satellite altimeters measure both sea level and near surface wind speed, and am also looking at the ability of the satellite scatterometer to provide a new and higher resolution view of wind fields along our coastline. My work with EOS collaborators includes intensive observational work aimed at determining the coastal ocean's role in regulating atmospheric carbon dioxide levels through gas exchange at the sea surface and how we might monitor this activity through a combination of available satellite sensors.