The Earth and Space Institute (ESI) at UMBC works closely with the Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology (JCET) and the Goddard Earth Sciences and Technology Research (GESTAR II), cooperative agreements between UMBC and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, on:
- instrument development, design, prototyping, fabrication, and deployment
- lab, field, and on-orbit instrument calibration exercises
- science data analysis and algorithm development
- grant proposals, publications, and outreach
- student training in association with degree-granting institutions
The ESI is strongly affiliated with the Atmospheric Physics graduate program at UMBC. Graduate students seeking Masters and PhD degrees have contributed significantly to ESI projects at all levels. We are seeking highly motivated and curious students!
For more information about the Earth and Space Institute at UMBC, our specific projects, or collaboration and affiliation opportunities, contact the ESI Director, Dr. J. Vanderlei Martins, Professor of Physics.
Discipline Leads
Dr. J. Vanderlei Martins
Professor of Physics, ESI Director
martins@umbc.edu
Dr. Lorraine Remer
Research Professor
remer@umbc.edu
J. Dominik Cieslak
Chief Engineer (electrical, detectors, and optics.)
cieslak@umbc.edu
Dr. Roberto Fernandez Borda
Senior Research Engineer
rfborda@umbc.edu
Research and Science
Dr. Xiaoguang (Richard) Xu
Research Assistant Professor
xxu@umbc.edu
Dr. Ana Prados
Senior Research Scientist
aprados@umbc.edu
Dr. Brent McBride
Assistant Research Scientist
mcbride1@umbc.edu
Dr. Anin Puthukkudy
Postdoctoral Research Associate
aputhukkudy@umbc.edu
Software and Systems Engineering
Danny Nelson
Systems and Thermal Engineer
Faculty Research Assistant
dnelson@umbc.edu
Ian Decker
Research Mechanical Engineer
deck2@umbc.edu
Andrew Taylor
Research Mechanical Engineer
andrewt7@umbc.edu
Jet Thompson
Software Engineer
jensent1@umbc.edu
Affiliated PhD Students
Noah Sienkiewicz
Atmospheric Physics
noahs3@umbc.edu
Rachel Smith
Atmospheric Physics
rsmith12@umbc.edu
Nirandi Jayasinghe
Atmospheric Physics
nirandj1@umbc.edu
Greema Regmi
Atmospheric Physics
gregmi1@umbc.edu