Bill Philpot

Bill Philpot is a Professor in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at Cornell University's College of Engineering. His academic path began with a BA in Music from New York University in 1969, followed by military service, then transitioned to physics (BS from SUNY Stony Brook, 1973), and advanced degrees in Marine Studies from the University of Delaware (MS 1978, PhD 1981).

Dr. Philpot's research specializes in remote sensing of Earth, focusing on mathematical modeling of light interactions with Earth's atmosphere and surface. His work spans multiple domains:

• Ocean optics and coastal zone remote sensing (bathymetry, water quality, bottom type)
• Soil characterization and moisture content analysis across saturation states
• Radiative transfer modeling for both aquatic and terrestrial environments
• Digital image processing and spectral analysis techniques
• LIDAR data interpretation, particularly bathymetric applications

His publication record shows consistent contributions to the field, with recent work focusing on soil reflectance properties, spectral transmittance of sand, and correction techniques for coastal hyperspectral imagery. Dr. Philpot's research has evolved from early ocean applications to more recent land-based problems while maintaining a focus on physical interactions of light with Earth's surface.

Dr. Philpot has received several prestigious awards for his contributions:

• Technical Excellence Award from JALBTCX (2018)
• Senior Member status in IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society (2016)
• Emeritus Member of ASPRS (2015)
• ASPRS Presidential Citation (2011)

He has broadened his expertise through sabbatical leaves at RIT, University of Southern Mississippi, World Resources Institute, NASA, and Naval Research Laboratory. Dr. Philpot teaches core courses including CEE 6100 Remote Sensing Fundamentals and CEE 6150 Digital Image Processing, emphasizing understanding of underlying physics to enable intelligent use of remote sensing data across applications.