CV: Earth Observation instrument scientist / system engineer

Education and employment

2001-present:

Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute (KNMI) in De Bilt, The Netherlands, as senior calibration scientist working on the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on NASA's EOS-Aura satellite as well as on the TROPOMI instrument on ESA's Sentinel-5 Precursor satellite as project manager for the on-ground and in-flight calibration, as well as on system engineering, operations and 0-1b data processing. I have also been involved in ESA's Sentinel-4 geostationary satellite UVN instrument, mainly on calibration and some of the 0-1b data processing and ground data processing segment aspects.

1998-2000:

TNO TPD in Delft, The Netherlands, as instrument calibration scientist and system engineer for the SCIAMACHY (on ESA ENVISAT) and GOME2 (on ESA/EUMETSAT METOP) instruments.

1994-1998:

Space Research Organisation Netherlands (SRON) as instrument calibration scientist working on the earth atmospheric observation satellite instruments GOME and SCIAMACHY.

1990-1994:

PHD work in physical chemistry in the molecular spectroscopy group at the chemistry department of the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Thesis title: "Resonance Enhanced Multiphoton Ionization Photoelectron Spectroscopy of Small Polyatomic Molecules using Nanosecond and Picosecond Excitation".

1985-1990:

Academical education experimental physics at the Free University in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Graduation subject in atomic physics. Graduated in experimental physics with judicium 'cum laude'.

Working experience

System engineering and technology development aspects for design and calibration of space instrumentation for earth observation. Definition of system requirements in view of scientific goals and verification of such requirements in instrument performance.

Specialist in calibration, design, and assembly, integration and testing of advanced satellite instrumentation for earth atmospheric research. Interpretation of spectroscopic data in satellite measurements. Development of instrument simulation software packages for in-flight performance and calibration predictions.

Experimental atomic and molecular laser spectroscopy in a scientific environment. Good knowledge of various laser systems and laser system peripherical equipment and vacuum equipment.

Knowledge of C, Fortran, Pascal, IDL, HDF-EOS, as well as UNIX, Linux and Windows environment.

Working in multidisciplinary and multinational earth observation space projects (ESA, NASA). Definition and organisation of new projects. Project management tasks and guidance of colleagues in these projects.

Involvement in proposal submission for future work.

Contract research in an industrial environment and presentation of results at international progress meetings, symposia and congresses.

Awards

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center award for involvement in successful development, launch and activation of the EOS Aura Mission.

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center group achievement award in recognition of a significant contribution to the design, development and launch of the Aura satellite, which is producing astounding data for the atmospheric science community.

NASA headquarters group achievement award for success in designing, building, and launch of the Aura observatory, the latest in the Earth Observing System series.

Languages

I speak, read, and write Dutch, English, and German fluently. I speak and understand some French and Spanish.

Publications (excerpt)

[1]   Resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization photoelectron spectroscopy on nano-and picosecond timescales of Rydberg states of methyl iodide, Journal of Chemical Physics 99 (2), 836-853 (1993).

[2]   (3+1) Resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization photoelectron spectroscopy on nf Rydberg states of carbon dioxide, Journal of Chemical Physics 101 (11), 9303-9325  (1994).

[3]   Two-colour picosecond time-resolved (2+1') resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization photoelectron spectroscopy on the B(¹E") and C'(¹A₁') states of ammonia, Journal of Physical Chemistry 99 (6), 1671-1685 (1995).

[4]   Observations of the moon by the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment: radiometric calibration and lunar albedo, Applied Optics 37, 7832-7841 (1998)).

[5]   Ground based zenith sky abundances and in situ gas cross sections for ozone and nitrogen dioxide with the EOS-AURA Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), Applied Optics 44 (14), pp 2846-2856 (2005).

[6]   Ozone Monitoring Instrument calibration, IEEE Trans. Geosc. Rem. Sens. 44 (5) (2006).

[7]   The Ozone Monitoring Instrument, IEEE Trans. Geosc. Rem. Sens. 44 (5) (2006).OMI level 0 to 1b processing and operational aspects, IEEE Trans. Geosc. Rem. Sens. 44 (5) (2006).Prelaunch characterization of the Ozone Monitoring Instrument transfer function in the spectral domain, Applied Optics 45 (17), pp 3972-3981 (2006).

[8]   Method of calibration to correct for cloud-induced wavelength shifts in the Aura's satellite Ozone Monitoring Instrument, Applied Optics 45 (15), pp 3652-3658 (2006).

[9]   Validation of Ozone Monitoring Instrument level-1b data products, J. Geophys. Res. 113, D15S06, doi:10.1029/2007JD008665 (2008).
[10]   Ozone Monitoring Instrument geolocation validation, J. Geophys. Res. 113, D15S12, doi:10.1029/2007JD008821 (2008).

[11]   The high-resolution solar reference spectrum between 250 and 550 nm and its application to measurements with the Ozone Monitoring Instrument, Solar Physics 249, no. 2, 281-291, June 2008, doi: 10.1007/s11207-008-9187-7.