Dan G. Blumberg
Professor, Vice President, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Chair of the Israel Space Agency
International Academy of Astronautics
Welcome to the website of Professor Dan G. Blumberg.
A prominent and progressive scientist and intellectual. Always happy to engage the minds of his students.
An experienced, speaker, researcher, consultant and author.
Revolutionizing Higher Education
About
Prof Blumberg is the Vice-President for Regional and Industrial Development and Chair of the Israel Space Agency. Prior to these positions, Blumberg completed five years as Vice President and Dean for Research and Development at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Before that he fulfilled several positions including Deputy Vice President, Chairperson of the Department of Geography and Environmental Development at BGU, and the founder of the Green Campus initiative at BGU which gained the University an international ranking of #18.
Prof Blumberg earned a Ph.D. from Arizona State University (1993) where he studied and worked in the Planetary Geology Group and focused on aeolian processes and microwave radar remote sensing to study arid zone environments and planetary geology. Blumberg was a Co-I on the SRL (Spaceborne Radar Laboratory) mission, SRTM (Spaceborne Radar Topography) mission and other space missions. Blumberg has been working for the past 20 years on analysis of multi-parameter remote sensing data including radar, hyperspectral, multi-spectral and GPR data. He has also published numerous papers in the areas of target and anomaly detection. Blumberg combined field studies with the use of remote sensing data. Blumberg led the development and successful launch on February 15, 2017 of a Nanosatellite, BGUsat.
Blumberg has been a key leader in the development of the cyber eco-system in Beer-Sheva which brought 39 multi-national companies and 70 startups to the advanced technologies park in Beer-Sheva.
Additional Roles & Memberships
Director of Homeland Security
Simon Family Chair in Remote Sensing
Member of the BGN Technologies Bord of Directors
Member of the GIID Steering Committee
The Earth and Planetary Image Facility
The Earth and Planetary Image Facility is a multi-disciplinary laboratory located in the Department of Geography and Environmental Development at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Our research focuses on the use of remote sensing for a variety of applications and on advancing the development of currently available remote sensing methods. The students in the laboratory come from a variety of academic backgrounds, including geography, electro-optics, geology, electrical engineering, bio-medical engineering, computer sciences, and agriculture.
The laboratory is affiliated with NASA's Regional Planetary Image Facilities program and hosts an active archive of maps and remotely sensed images from the Solar System.
Cutting edge technologies are used and developed in our research program.
She Space, a first-of-its-kind educational space science project for the development of satellite imaging research applications! The She Space program was built to inspire young girls to study science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. The basic premise of the program is that exposure to advanced scientific disciplines, especially in an active research context, encourages young women to continue studying science throughout their educational careers. She Space uses exposure to remote sensing to push high school-age girls outside of their comfort zones and help them learn about STEM subjects without preconceptions and existing stereotypes.
The research Nanosatellite BGUSAT, the first of Israel, was launched from India in February 2017 as a part of a collaboration between the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and the Aerospace Industries. Nanosatellites are a relatively new category in the field of satellites and space. These tiny satellites only weigh a few kilograms. Thanks to the minimization trend of electronic components, this platform can be instilled with advanced technological abilities for a fairly low price. The satellite is tiny- only 10X30 centimeters, the size of a milk carton, and weighs only 5 kilograms.
The Earth and Planetary Image Facility and the Department of Geography and Environmental Development at Ben Gurion University of the Negev operate
a surface weather data server.
The information gathered comes primarily from automated weather stations operated by the facility but is capable and interested in disseminating data from any automated weather station.
The data are displayed for general public use including students from k-12.
However, they for can also be used by University students for atmospheric calibration of satellite images and validation of their data.
Innovation District
A Framework for Innovation and Inclusive Growth
Be’er Sheva—a city experiencing growth in high tech and innovation-rich fields over the past five years—is coming into focus.
a growing city of great ethnic and economic diversity and geographically the second largest city in Israel. A city of over 220,000 people, population is projected to increase to 270,000 by 2030 . Mayor Danilovich has ambitiously advanced a city agenda—marked by new reforms and investment—to accelerate Be’er Sheva’s transformation into a magnet for high tech and innovation-driven growth.
Initiatives
The IDF move to the Negev
As part of Israel's aim to strengthen and economically develop the Negev, and in accordance with the vision of Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, the Israeli government made a decision to move IDF bases to the South. This move will create thousands of jobs, attract industry and technology companies to the region, and increase economic activity significantly, thus helping transform the Negev into a major economic center.
News and Articles
Gallery
Contact Information
Contact Dan G. Blumberg regarding his published work, course offerings or any other inquires.
+972-74-779-5185