Profile for Miguel Román


Click image to view larger version.
Title: Research Physical Scientist
Affiliation: NASA
Contact: E-mail
Terrestrial Information Systems Laboratory
Mail Code 619, Bldg 32, S-036F
Greenbelt, MD 20771

Office Phone: 301-614-5498
Fax: 301-614-5269

Profile

Google Scholar Profile: ~285 citations, h-index 9 as of May 2013.

 My research focuses on the development and application of satellite remote sensing to produce stable, well calibrated, and scientifically validated products from a series of earth observing satellites. My focus is on the quantification of uncertainty in satellite-derived products through a combination of quality assessment and validation techniques including day/night visible, near-infrared, and multi-angle imagery and measurements acquired from in-situ and airborne platforms.

At NASA Goddard, I am a member of the Land Product Evaluation and Test Element (PEATE)  and the Joint Polar Satellite System's (JPSS) Land discipline teams. As part of this joint NASA/NOAA effort, our team is currently tasked with evaluating the operational Land algorithms that are being used for the Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) onboard the Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (NPP) satellite.

I am also the Land scientist for NASA’s Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR), considered the most frequently used airborne instrument built in-house at NASA Goddard; and the BRDF, Albedo, Clouds and Aerosol Radiometer (BACAR) instrument concept; which will provide much broader spectral range than CAR, polarization channels, and improved performance.

At the international level, my work focuses on addressing the challenges associated with the validation of Land Essential Climate Variables (ECVs) derived from satellite data by coordinating major field and airborne campaigns, managing a global network of validation sites, developing internationally-recognized validation protocols and standards, and ensuring that validation data and results are made available for free within the global user community.

 

 EDUCATION


- Ph.D. in Geography, Boston University, 2009. (Major: Remote Sensing and GIS) Dissertation Title: “Use of in situ and airborne data to assess satellite-based estimates of directional reflectance and albedo”. Advisor: Crystal B. Schaaf.

- M.Eng. in Systems Engineering, Cornell University, 2005.

- B.S. in Electrical Engineering, University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, 2004.

 
HONORS AND AWARDS

- NASA Agency Honor Awards: Early Career Achievement Medal (2012)
 - NASA/GSFC Hydrospheric and Biospheric Sciences (HOBI) Annual Award (2012 Scientific/Technical/Outreach)
- IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society (GRSS) Gold Early Career Award (2012)
- NASA/GSFC Special Act Incentive Awards (2010 - 2012)
- NASA/GSFC Hydrospheric and Biospheric Sciences (HOBI) Annual Award (2010 Rookie of the Year)
- NASA Harriett G. Jenkins Pre-doctoral Fellowship (JPFP) (Cohort IV - 2004-2006)
- NASA Graduate Student Researchers Program (GSRP) Fellowship (2007-2009)
- US Geospatial Intelligence Foundation Award (2006)
- Xerox Technical Research Award (2005)
- Cornell University Teresa Lazaro Memorial Master of Engineering Fellowship (2004)
- University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, Research Associate Award (2002)
- IBM Corporation Traineeship at Harvard Business School (2002)
- USGS STAR Award (2001)

 

ACTIVITIES AND PROJECTS

 
- D. Sun (PI), B. Haack,  M. Román, and Y. Yu (Co-Is), "Multi-sensor Approach for Analysis and Mapping of Hurricane Flooding", NASA Earth Science Applications: Disasters, Total Budget $147,000 (0.20 FTEs), (2012 - present)
 
- C. Gatebe (PI), M. Román, C. Schaaf, Z. Wang, T. Varnai, "Pilot Study to Demonstrate Tree Height Retrievals from CAR Multiangular/ Multispectral Data", NASA Terrestrial Ecology Program, Total Budget $166,000 (2012 - present)
 
- M. Román (PI), "NPP-VIIRS Land Cal/Val Product Evaluation and Coordination Activities", Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS), Total Budget $131,000 (0.35 FTEs), (2011 - present)
 
- R. Kahn (PI), C. Gatebe (Instrument PI), C. Ichoku and M. Román (Co-Is), "BRDF, ALBEDO, CLOUD AND AEROSOL RADIOMETER (BACAR)", NASA/GSFC Internal Research and Development (IRAD) Program, Total Budget $50,000 (1.7FTEs), (2010 - present)
 
- J. Foster, (PI), D. Hall and M. Román (Co-Is), "Observations of Bioluminescence in Arctic and Antarctic Regions from VIIRS Nighttime Visible Data during the Polar Winter", NASA/GSFC Pilot Science Innovation Fund (SIF), 0.3 FTEs, (2012 - present)
 
- C. Gatebe (Instrument PI), J. Masek, C. Schaaf, and M. Román (Co-Is), "THE 2011 ECO/3D Flight Campaign: Vegetation Structure and Biomass Estimation From Simultaneous SAR, LIDAR, and Radiometer Measurements", Total Budget $35,000 (11 Flight Hours), (2011)
 
- C. Schaaf. (PI), "MODIS Albedo, Nadir Reflectance and Reflectance Anisotropy for Environmental Modeling and Monitoring", (2011 - 2013). Unfunded Collaborator (with M. Chopping, F. Gao, X. Zhang, S. Liang, D. Roy, D. Hall, Y. Jin, and J. Nightingale)
 
- C. Schaaf. (PI), "Albedo and Bidirectional Reflectance Climate Data Records from NPP/VIIRS ", (2011 - 2013). Unfunded Collaborator (with J. Nightingale)
  
- Member: ESA proposal review panels (2012)
 
- Member: NASA proposal review panels (2011)
 
- NASA/GSFC Recruitment Team (UC-Berkeley and Stanford University, 2011)
 
- 2nd VIIRS Land Team Validation Workshop, organizer and convener (2010)

- NASA/GSFC Science Director's Committee, Co-chair (2009 - present)
 
- IEEE Geoscience & Remote Sensing Society (GRSS), (2002 - Present)
     • IEEE-GRSS Washington/Northern Virginia Chapter, Chair (2012)
     • IEEE-GRSS Washington/Northern Virginia Chapter, Vice Chair (2011)
     • IGARSS 2010 Technical Program Committee, Session Chair.
     • IGARSS 2009 Technical Program Committee, Session Co-chair.
 
- NASA Curriculum Improvements Partnership Award for the Integration of Research (CIPAIR), GSFC Research Mentor to
8 summer interns from Louisburg College, NC:
     • (2011) M. Román, J. Thomas, T. Goard, S. Jones, R. Wegener, D. Halberg, and L. McFadden                                          "Monitoring Riparian Buffer Zones along the Tar River Basin using EOS Land Products"
     • (2012) M. Román, J. Thomas, G. Jaramillo, E. Rayo, R. Robinson, D. Debinski, and L. McFadden                                     "Tracking Historical Trends in Landscape Prairie Restoration Using Landsat"
 
 
 - GSFC Science Task Groups
     • L. Koenig, L. Carter, J. Foster, D. Hall, S. Luthcke, G. Neumann, M. Román, and J. Sauber, Comparative
       Cryospheres Task Group (Remote Sensing Subgroup)
     • D. Morton, L. Ott,  R. Koster, S. Pawson, R. Reichle, R. Cullather, C. Tucker, A. Lyapustin, D. Wu, B. Duncan, J.
       Joiner, J. Comiso, D. Hall, L. Koenig, J. Foster, M. Jasinski, E. Kim, L. Bounoua, J. Collatz, B. Cook, L. Fatoyinbo,
       F. Hall, J. Ranson, M. Román, E. Wilson, D. Harding, S Luthcke, Task Group on Changes in the Arctic Boreal  
       System (CABS)
     • J. McCorkel, A. Daw, D. Rabin, K. Thome, D. Jennings, M. Román, J. Xiong, W. Cook, G. Meister, S. Platnick, J.
       Butler, Calibration Science Task Group (A Multi-discipline, Multi-mission Working Group Approach to
       Calibration)
 
 
REVIEWER OF THE FOLLOWING JOURNALS
 
- Remote Sensing of Environment
- Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology
- Journal of Hydrometeorology
- IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing
- IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering 
- IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing
- IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Letters 
- Journal of Geophysical Research - Atmospheres
- Journal of Geophysical Research - Biogeosciences
- International Journal of Digital Earth
 
 
SEE ALSO
 
- List of Puerto Ricans in the United States Space Program

 

 

Recent Interviews and Presentations

M. Román and E. Podest were interviewed on a live national broadcast on Univision Radio conducted by Dr. Isabel Gomez-Bassols. The one hour broadcast, conducted on October 16, 2012, focused on Earth Science careers as well as a discussion on NASA's Earth Science projects and research activities (Radio podcast).

M. Román, "The Suomi National Polar Orbiting Partnership (NPP) Day/Night Visible Sensor: Unleashing A New Era of Nighttime Remote Sensing Applications." Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, 1 October, 2012, in New Haven, CT.

M. Román, "Assessing Satellite-Based Estimates of Surface Reflectance Anisotropy (BRDF) and Albedo Under Conditions of Rapid Surface Change." University of Massachusetts Boston Environmental, Coastal and Ocean Sciences Graduate Department Seminar Series, 24 September, 2012, in Boston, MA.

M. Román, Ivan Csiszar, Chris Justice, Jeffrey Key, Jeff Privette, Sadashiva Devadiga, Carol Davidson, Robert E. Wolfe, and Edward J. Masuoka "Status of the Suomi NPP Visible/Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite’s (VIIRS) Land Environmental Data Records (EDRs) after Early Evaluation of On-orbit Performance." IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS'12), 22-27 July, 2012, in Munich, Germany.

M. Román, "Use of In-Situ and Airborne Multiangle Data to Assess MODIS, VIIRS, and Landsat-based Estimates of Directional Reflectance And Albedo." 12th Science and Review Workshop of the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX) and Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BSRN) in Potsdam, Germany on 2 August, 2012.

M. Román, "Evaluation and Validation of Global Land Surface Products Derived from NASA and CNES Satellite Sensors." Laboratoire d'Optique Atmosphérique, Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France on 30 July, 2012.

M. Román, "Evaluation and validation of global land surface products derived from Landsat, MODIS, and VIIRS." NASA-GSFC Climate & Radiation Laboratory seminar, Feb 01, 2012, in Greenbelt, MD.

M. Román, "Pre-launch evaluation of the NPP VIIRS Land and Cryosphere EDRs to meet NASA's science requirements." IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS'11), 24-29 July, 2011, in Vancouver, BC.

M. Román, “Overview of NASA Earth System Science.” South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSMT) Open House, October 17, 2011, held at the NASA-GSFC Visitor Center in Greenbelt, MD.

M. Román and J. Nightingale, "CEOS-WGCV Land Product Validation Sub-Group Activities: Current and Potential Roles in Future Decadal Survey Missions” and poster entitled: “The Role of Scale and Spatial Heterogeneity in Retrieval of BRDF/Albedo Products.” HyspIRI Symposium, 17-18 May, 2011, held at the NASA-GSFC Visitor Center in Greenbelt, MD.

M. Román, “Roles and Responsibilities of NASA Earth System Scientists.”  Explore@NASA Goddard open house event: Greatness@Goddard Session, May 14, 2011, in Greenbelt, MD.

Z. Wang, C. Schaaf, and M. Román, “Geostatistical Analysis of AmeriFlux Validation Sites for Assessment of Moderate Resolution Satellite-Derived Albedo Products.” AmeriFlux Science Meeting & 3rd NACP All-Investigators Meeting, January 31-February 4, 2011 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

M. Román, “Characterization of Surface Directional Reflectance Properties over the SGP Site from Airborne Measurements and Surface Observations.” IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS’10), July 25-30, 2010 in Honolulu, HI.

M. Román, “Characterization of Surface Directional Reflectance Properties from Airborne Angular Reflectance Measurements to Improve the Accuracy and Consistency of Long-Term Data Records.” 32nd Review of Atmospheric Transmission Models Meeting, 14-15 June 2010, held at the National Heritage Museum in Lexington, Massachusetts.

M. Román, “Use of In-Situ and Airborne Data to Assess Satellite Estimates of Directional Surface Reflectance and Albedo.” NOAA-NESDIS STAR Science Forum, Nov. 3, 2009, in Camp Springs, MD.

Science Highlights

January,2013: Use of in situ and airborne multiangle data to assess MODIS- and Landsat-based estimates of directional reflectance and albedo

June, 2012: Detection of Light Outages using the VIIRS Day/Night Band: An Early Case Study on the D.C. Derecho Storm

March, 2012: Intercomparison of MODIS Albedo Retrievals and In-Situ Measurements across the Global FLUXNET Network

February, 2012: Software Tools for Data Manipulation, Visualization, and Analysis of Suomi-VIIRS Land and Cryosphere Products

November, 2011: Evaluation of MODIS snow albedo product (MDC43) over tundra

June, 2011: Variability in the BRDF at different spatial scales over a mixed agricultural landscape as retrieved from airborne and satellite spectral measurements

March, 2011: Monitoring savanna dynamics using the MODIS BRDF/albedo product

May, 2010: NASA’s Cloud Absorption Radiometer (CAR): Understanding surface bidirectional reflectance variability at sub-pixel scales

March, 2010: Characterization of surface directional reflectance properties at the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (CBW)

February, 2010: Assessing the coupling between surface albedo derived from MODIS and the fraction of diffuse skylight over NSA-Barrow

Publications

Román, M.O., Gatebe, C.K., Shuai, Y., Wang, Z., Gao, F., J. Masek, He, T., Liang, S., and Schaaf, C.B. (2013). Use of in situ and airborne multiangle data to assess MODIS- and Landsat-based estimates of directional reflectance and surface albedo IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing
10.1109/TGRS.2013.2243457

Alessandro Cescatti, Barbara Marcolla, Suresh K. Santhana Vannan, Jerry Yun Pan, M.O. Román, Xiaoyuan Yang, Philippe Ciais, Robert B. Cook, Beverly E. Law, Giorgio Matteucci, Mirco Migliavacca, Eddy Moors, Andrew D. Richardson, Günther Seufert, and Crystal B. Schaaf (2012). Intercomparison of MODIS albedo retrievals and in situ measurements across the global FLUXNET network Remote Sensing of Environment, 121, 323–334
10.1016/j.rse.2012.02.019

Román, M.O., Csiszar, I, Justice, C, , Key, J., Privette, J., Devadiga, S., Davidson, C., R.E. Wolfe, and E.J. Masuoka (2012). Status of the Suomi NPP Visible/Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite's (VIITS) Land Environmental Data Redords (EDRs) After Early Evaluation of On-Orbit Performance IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, 1084-1087
10.1109/IGARSS.2012.6351360

Zhuosen Wang, Crystal B. Schaaf, Mark J. Chopping, Alan H. Strahler, Jindi Wang, M.O. Román, Adrian V. Rocha, Curtis E. Woodcock, and Yanmin Shuai (2012). Evaluation of Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) snow albedo product (MCD43A) over tundra Remote Sensing of Environment, 117, 264–280
10.1016/j.rse.2011.10.002

Hill, M. J., M.O. Román, Schaaf C. B., Hutley L., Brannstrom C., Etter A., and Hanan N. P. (2011). Characterizing vegetation cover in global savannas with an annual foliage clumping index derived from the MODIS BRDF product Remote Sensing of Environment, 115, 2008-2024
10.1016/j.rse.2011.04.003

Hill, M. J., M.O. Román, and C. B. Schaaf (2011). Dynamics of vegetation indices in tropical and subtropical savannas defined by ecoregions and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) land cover Geocarto International, 1-39
10.1080/10106049.2011.626529

Román, M.O., C. K. Gatebe, C. Schaaf, R. Poudyal, Z. Wang, and M. D. King (2011). Variability in surface BRDF at different spatial scales (30 m–500 m) over a mixed agricultural landscape as retrieved from airborne and satellite spectral measurements Remote Sensing of Environment, 115, 2184-2203
10.1016/j.rse.2011.04.012

Román, M.O., Justice, C., Csiszar, I., Key, J. R., Devadiga, S., Davidson, C., R.E. Wolfe, and Privette, J. (2011). Pre-Launch evaluation of the NPP VIIRS Land and Cryosphere EDRs to meet NASA's science requirements Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS), 2011 IEEE International , 154-157
doi:10.1109/IGARSS.2011.6048921

Román, M.O., Justice, C., Csiszar, I., Key, J>R., Devadiga, S., Davidson, C., R.E. Wolfe, and Privette, J. (2011). Pre-launch evaluation of the NPP VIIRS Land and Cryosphere EDRs to meet NASA's science requirements Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS), 2011 IEEE International

Román, M.O., Gatebe, C., Schaff, C., Poudyal, R., Wang, Z., and King, M. (2011). Variability in surface BRDF at different spatial scales (30 m-500 m) over a mixed agricultural landscape as retrieved from airborne and satellite spectral measurements Remote Sensing of Environment, 115(9), 2184–2203
10.1016/j.rse.2011.04.012,

Zhao, F., Yang, X., Schull, M. A., M.O. Román, Yao, T., Wang, Z., Q. Zhang, Jupp, D. L. B., Lovell, J. l., Culvenor, D.s., Newnham, G. J., Richardson, A. D., W. Ni-Meister, Schaaf, C. B., Woodcock, C. E., and Strahler, A. H. (2011). Measuring effective leaf area index, foliage profile, and stand height in New England forest stands using a full-waveform ground-based lidar Remote Sensing of Environment, 115(11), 2954-2964
10.1016/j.rse.2010.08.030

Hill, Michael J., M.O. Román, and Crystal B. Schaaf (2010). Biogeography, Ecology andDynamics of Global Savanna: A Geospatial View. In Ecosystems Function in Savannas. M.J. Hill and N.P. Hanan (Ed.). Ecosystem Function in Savannas: Measurement and Modeling at Landscape to Global Scales: CRC Taylor and Francis.

Román, M.O., C.B. Schaaf, P. Lewis, F. Gao, G.P. Anderson, J.L. Privette, A.H. Strahler, C.E. Woodcock, and M. Barnsley (2010). Assessing the Coupling between Surface Albedo derived from MODIS and the Fraction of Diffuse Skylight over Spatially-Characterized Landscapes Remote Sens. Environ., 114, 738-760
10.1016/j.rse.2009.11.014

Lewis, P.E., G.P. Anderson, S.S. Shen, J. Chetwynd, M.O. Román, C.B. Schaaf, D.D. Turner, D.A. Rutan, A. Berk, D.P. Miller, and R. Kroutil (2009). MODTRAN5 analysis of clear-sky, co-located space- and ground-based infrared atmospheric measurements: AERI, AIRS, CERES, MODIS. Proc. SPIE, 7334(733410)
10.1117/12.819920

Liu, J., C.B. Schaaf, A.H. Strahler, Z. Jiao, Y. Shuai, Q. Zhang, M.O. Román, J.A. Augustine, and E.G. Dutton (2009). Validation of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) albedo retrieval algorithm: Dependence of albedo on solar zenith angle J. Geophys. Res., 114(D01106)
10.1029/2008JD009969

Román, M.O., C.B. Schaaf, C.E. Woodcock, A.H. Strahler, X. Yang, R.H. Braswell, P.S. Curtis, K.J. Davis, D. Dragoni, L. Gu, M.L. Goulden, D.Y. Hollinger, T.E. Kolb, T.P. Meyers, J.W. Munger, J.L. Privette, A.D. Richardson, T.B. Wilson, and S.C. Wofsy (2009). The MODIS (Collection V005) BRDF/albedo product: Assessment of spatial representativeness over forested landscapes Remote Sensing of Environment, 113, 2476-2498
10.1016/j.rse.2009.07.009

Rutan, D., F. Rose, M.O. Román, N. Manalo-Smith, C. Schaaf, and T. Charlock (2009). Development and assessment of broadband surface albedo from Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System Clouds and Radiation Swath data product J. Geophys. Res., 114(D08125)
10.1029/2008JD010669

Anderson, G.P., C.B. Schaaf, K. Loukachine, R.S. Stone, E. Andrews, E.P. Shettle, E.G. Dutton, M.O. Román, A. Stohl, and A. Berk (2008). Assessing the radiative impact of aerosol smoke using MODTRAN5. Proc. SPIE, 6966(696617)
10.1117/12.782364

Coddington, O., K.S. Schmidt, P. Pilewskie, W.J. Gore, R.W. Bergstrom, M.O. Román, J. Redemann, P.B. Russell, J. Liu, and C.C. Schaaf (2008). Aircraft measurements of spectral surface albedo and its consistency with ground-based and space-borne observations J. Geophys. Res., 113(D14S16)
10.1029/2007JD009657

Knobelspiesse, K.D., B. Cairns, B. Schmid, M.O. Román, and C.B. Schaaf (2008). Surface BRDF estimation from an aircraft compared to MODIS and ground estimates at the Southern Great Plains site J. Geophys. Res., 113(D20105)
10.1029/2008JD010062

Stone, R.S., G.P. Anderson, E.P. Shettle, E. Andrews, K. Loukachine, E.G. Dutton, C. Schaaf, and M.O. Román (2008). Radiative impact of boreal smoke in the Arctic: Observed and modeled J. Geophys. Res., 113(D14S16)
10.1029/2007JD009657