Sylvia S. Shen

Sylvia S. Shen Senior Engineering Specialist, The Aerospace Corporation Country of origin: USA

I find the field of applied optical remote sensing to be fascinating in both the scale of its applications, from microscopic to space-based, and its broad applicability to the needs of the civil, medical, environmental, law enforcement, defense, and intelligence communities. The field is experimentally challenging in the process of determining and verifying the correlation between a physical phenomenon and a specific remote sensing observable. It is demanding, as it requires engineering a solution suitable to a specific observable or a set of observables that results in useful optical remote sending applications. It is rigorous in the development and implementation of innovative algorithms and data analysis techniques that enhance the understanding, use, and implementation of remote sensing technologies. I find the exchange of technical ideas and enthusiasm between colleagues during my two annual SPIE conferences to be invigorating and rewarding.