Darrel L. Williams, Ph.D
CURRICULUMVITAE
Darrel L. Williams, Ph.D.
Chief Scientist
Global Science and Technology, Inc.
7855 Walker Drive, Suite 200
Greenbelt, Maryland 20770
EDUCATION:B.S.Forest Sci. Pennsylvania State Univ. 1973 (with distinction) M.S. Forest Sci. Pennsylvania State Univ. 1974 (with high dist.) Ph.D. Geography University of Maryland 1989
Dissertation title: "The Radiative Transfer Characteristics of Spruce (Picea spp.): Implications
Relative to the Canopy Microclimate." Major Advisor: Dr. Samuel N. Goward.
APPOINTMENTS/ EXPERIENCE:
2012 - present Member, DoI, Landsat Advisory Group, established under the National Geospatial Advisory Committee(NGAC) of the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC).
2010 - present Chief Scientist, Global Science &Technology, Inc.; provides broad scientific support, as required and advises the GST regarding future directions and business applications of scientific work within the company
2006 - 2011Co-investigator (PI-Goward) and member of USGS/NASA Landsat Science Team
2005 - 2010Acting Chief in charge of day-to-day operations, Hydrospheric and Biospheric Sciences Laboratory, Earth Sciences Division, NASA Goddard; an R&D org of ~80 civil servants and ~250 “other” an annual budget of $55M - $60M.
1992 - 2010Landsat 5 and 7 Project Scientist
1991 - present Adjunct Professor, U. of Maryland, Department of Geography
2007 - 2008Co-Chair of the Technical Program Committee for Pecora 17 Conference
2002 - 2005Associate Chief for Science, Laboratory for Terrestrial Physics, NASA Goddard
2000 - 2005Editorial Board, ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry & Remote Sensing
2001 - 2006LBA-ECO Project Manager, a large NASA-funded project in the Amazon basin
1999 - 2006Member of the USGS National Satellite Land Remote Sensing Data Archive
Advisory Committee – a FACA committee appointed by Sec. of Interior
1991 - 2001Head, Biospheric Sciences Branch, NASA GSFC; a research organization of ~115 people with an annual budget ranging between $15M - $20M
1990 - 1998Member of the Editorial Board, International Journal of Remote Sensing
1990 - 1992EOS Associate Project Scientist representing the "Land" discipline
1990 - 1991MODIS Source Evaluation Board member, charged with the selection of the vendor to build the MODIS instrument for EOS
1989 - 1990Earth Observing System (EOS) Deputy Project Scientist, NASA Goddard
1975 - 1991 Research Scientist, Biospheric Sciences Branch, NASA GSFC; conducted basic research emphasizing development of quantitative remote sensing techniques for assessing terrestrial ecosystems, with emphasis on forest ecosystems
SIGNIFICANT AWARDS
1997NASA Medal for Outstanding Leadership
1999“Aviation Week and Space Technology 1999 Laurels Award” in recognition of his science leadership of the highly successful Landsat 7 mission
2000NASA Exceptional Service Medal
2000Co-Recipient, the Pecora Award, on behalf of entire Landsat “team”
2006“OutstandingAlumni Award”from School of Forest Resources at Penn State U.
RECENT FUNDING / FUNDSOVERSIGHT (before departing NASA Goddard in Jan 2010)
PI for the Landsat Legacy activity funded by the NASA History Office (~$100K per year for 3 yrs)
PI for the Landsat Project Sciences Office (~ $2M/yr.)
Hydrospheric and Biospheric Sciences Laboratory budget ($55M – $60M/yr.)
PUBLICATIONS
Dr. Williams has authored or co-authored ~100 publications in the field of quantitative remote sensing in such categories as refereed journal articles, book chapters, or proceedings articles.
A full list of publications can be made available upon request.
PRESENTATIONSSPECIAL EVENTS
Dr.Williamsmadenumeroushighlevelpresentationsaroundtheworldduringhis NASAcareer. Most recentlyhe presented the LOGICAL/TerEDyn concept at the 2011 ISRSE conference in Sydney, Australia, and he wastheinvitedkeynotespeakerfortheMultiTemp2009conference in Mystic, Connecticut. Injust thepastfewyearshehasgivenpresentationsinArgentina,Australia, Brazil,Canada,China,Germany,Japan,Russia,SouthAfricaandSwitzerland,andwasaskedbythe GovernmentofAustraliatoserveasanexpertrevieweroftheAustralianGreenhouseOffices’useof historicalLandsatdataformonitoringabovegroundcarbonstocksincompliancewiththeKyotoProtocol. InSept2000,hegavetheopeningkeynoteaddressatthefirst“ExploringEarthfrom Space”eventattheAirandSpaceMuseumIMAX(see: successofthepresentationsthatevening,thishasbecomeanannualeventthatcyclesbetweenEarthand Spacescienceupdates. In2007,WilliamswasaskedbyGoddardCentermanagementtocomeupwitha gift“fitforaQueen,”tobepresentedtotheQueenofEnglandduringhervisittoGoddardinMay2007. HeconceivedandoversawthedevelopmentofablendedMODIS,Landsat,EO-1imageproductto showcaseNASAGoddardEarthsciencemissionsbyillustratingtheroutingofCaptainJohnSmith’s voyagetoestablishacolonyatJamestown,Virginia. TheQueenandDuke,whowereintheUSto celebratethe400thanniversaryofSmith’svoyage,weredelightedwiththistrulyuniquegift. Earlyinhis NASAcareer,hegave1-on-1presentationstosuchnotablesasElizabethTaylor,HughDowns,Jacques Cousteau,andJackFord,sonofthenPresidentFord. Since joining the private sector as Chief Scientist for Global Science & Technology, Inc.in 2010, Williams has spearheaded the development of a viable low-cost, smallsat-based augmentation of the baseline Landsat mission called TerEDyn. TerEDyn is currently under review in NASA’s Earth Venture-2 competition.