E. Riley Blocker

Dr. E. Riley Blocker is a senior research scientist at SSAI working on-site as a postdoctoral scholar at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s Ocean Ecology Laboratory (OEL). He received his B.S. in physics from Clemson University in 2018. Then, at the University of Miami, he received his M.S. in 2022 and Ph.D. in 2023, both in physics. During his graduate work, he designed optical instrumentation to measure the radiometric properties of solar light in natural waters - specifically, the sub-surface spectral polarized upwelling radiance distribution. He’s spent considerable time in Hawaii aiding in the operation of heritage and development of next-generation hyperspectral radiometric buoy systems that provide in situ measurements for the calibration and validation of satellite ocean color sensors. His current focus is on the derivation of aquatic optical properties using multi-angle polarimetric measurements from remote sensing platforms. This effort includes the compilation of field and satellite data and its comparison with vectorial Monte Carlo ocean-atmosphere models.

University of Miami; Coral Gables, Fl

Ph.D. Physics (December 2023)

• Dissertation: Measurement of the Polarization of Daylight Upwelling in the Sea
• Advisor: Dr. Kenneth J. Voss

M.S. Physics (May 2022)

Clemson University; Clemson, SC

B.S. Physics (May, 2018)

2020 NASA Fellowship

Recipient of the 2020 NASA Fellowship - A graduate fellowship program for Ph.D. student research. NASA Technical Advisor: P. Jeremy Werdell