Steven Miller

Steven Miller is a Professor in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University (CSU) and serves as Director of the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA). He holds a Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. from CSU, UC San Diego (Electrical Engineering), and has led CIRA since 2021. His career includes roles as Senior Research Scientist at CIRA (2007–2021) and Senior Satellite Meteorologist at the Naval Research Laboratory (2000–2007).

Education:

• Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University (2000)
• M.S. in Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University (1997)
• B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, San Diego (1995)

Research Focus: Miller specializes in satellite algorithm development for nighttime phenomena, including aerosol detection, atmospheric gravity waves, bioluminescent marine events, and decision-support tools for weather forecasting. His work bridges applied research and operational use, particularly for NOAA and the Department of Defense.

Key Contributions: His innovations include the GeoColor algorithm for geostationary satellites, optical flow techniques for tracking convective systems, and lunar-light mapping for nighttime aerosol studies. His research also explores human behaviors via nighttime lighting and marine bioluminescence detection.

Awards:

• 2017 CO-LABS Governor’s Award for GeoColor algorithm
• 2017 NASA Group Achievement Award (GOES-R Team)
• 2012 NASA Award (Suomi NPP VIIRS Team)
• 2005 Alan Berman Award for Milky Sea discovery

Labs/Teams: As CIRA Director, he oversees interdisciplinary projects at NOAA’s Cooperative Institute, fostering collaboration between academia, government, and industry.