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Nicole Bienert, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Researcher
University of Southern California

Microwave Systems, Sensors, and Imaging Lab

​

E-mail: hodgesn@usc.edu

Education
Stanford University
2018 - 2022

  • Electrical Engineering Ph.D Candidate, NSF Fellow, Adviser: Dustin Schroeder

University College London, Semester Abroad
2017

  • Funded by IES Abroad to diversify my background, and understand the world’s engineering challenges.

The Pennsylvania State University, Schreyer Honors College
2014-2018

  • Bachelor of Electrical Engineering, Minor in Physics

  • Schreyer Honors College: Thesis titled Resonance Radar

  Lectures

 

  • Google Tech Talks, "How Smartphone Autofocus Works," Google, Aug. 2023. 

  • Autofocus Group Lecture Series, "Advances in Edge Detection Image Processing," Google, Oct. 2022.

  • Radioglaciology Group Lecture Series, “Link Budgets,” Stanford Univ., Aug. 2021.

  • Radioglaciology Group Lecture Series, “Beamforming,” Stanford Univ., May 2021.

  • Radioglaciology Group Lecture Series, “Navigating SNR Definitions,” Stanford Univ., May 2020.

  • GEOPHYS240 Class Lecture, “Radar Backprojection,” Stanford Univ., 2019

  • EE242 Class Lecture, “Rough Surface Scattering.” Stanford Univ., 2019. 

  • EE430 Class Lecture, “Transmission and Reflection of EM Waves.” Pennsylvania State Univ., 2018.

Experience
University of Southern California, Postdoctoral Researcher
Oct. 2023 - present​

  • Developing a drone-based multistatic radar system for subsurface tomographic mapping and monitoring groundwater.  

Google, Image Signal Processing Researcher
2022 - Sept. 2023​

  • Research and develop novel image signal processing algorithms to improve the Google Pixel camera.

Stanford University, Radio Glaciology Research Assistant
2018 - 2022

  • Developed a novel radar system that maps temperature structure of glaciers at scales and precision that was not previously possible.

  • Created an inversion method for estimating the 2D thermal structure inside glaciers with a simulated performance of 0.83C mean temperature error and 3.58C maximum temperature error on 50m x 50m grids.

  • Invented passive synchronization method for bistatic radars that enables coherent processing. 

  • Tested diverse experiment ideas in Greenland, 2018 and settled on a bistatic configuration of software defined radios. The system was tested statically at 1.8km in Antarctica 2018, then moving on sled 200m-2.3km in Greenland 2019, before being deployed to the Thwaites Eastern Shear Margin in December 2019.

  • Selected airborne, ground radar, and seismic transects for 3 yr Thwaites initiative around high shear areas.

  • Collaboratively built a radar to monitor forest water content and provide an inexpensive (~$7,000) alternative to traditional (~$200,000) systems for validating satellite radars such as SMAP.

  • Mentored 9 undergraduates. Projects included investigating satellite-based sounding via a balloon-based platform and improving a phased array system to image basal terraces and measure GIA.

Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Radar Concepts and Formulation Intern
2020-2022 (Graduate Student Researcher)

  • Invented an orthogonality scheme for radar chirps using Sinusoidally Frequency Modulated Continuous Waves (SFMCW) that enables passively synchronized radars to perform post-processing beamforming and image formation.

  • Implementing orthogonal wave beamforming on an SDR. A bash script calls C++ to control the radar and perform preliminary processing, and MATLAB for the signal generation and radar post-processing and analysis.

2017 (Undergraduate Intern)

  • Investigated a new radar concept called Resonance Radar Imaging (RRI) which enables deeper earth penetration than traditional techniques to allow aquifer imaging. RRI bypasses the resolution vs. penetration depth problem by analyzing the target’s frequency response to back out an aquifer’s volume. 

  • Demonstrated the plausibility of RRI through small scale experiments (1-10GHz). A genetic optimization algorithm was used to match data with Mie theory curves and identify target properties.

  • Documented experimental evidence of Mie theory for single bodies.

Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Spacecraft Antenna Intern
2016

  • Identified optimal antenna for near field testing of the radar system aboard NISAR. Process included designing 5 dual polarized antennas and comparing simulating coupling in ANSYS HFSS.

  • Optimized inflatable dish antenna to provide 31dB gain. Novel design enables miniaturization of deep space satellites, which was previously prevented by large fixed dish antennas.

  • Simulated conformal antenna prototype for Mars Sample Return mission using HFSS.

Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Spacecraft Antenna Intern

2015-2017

  • Automated spectral characterization research using LabVIEW, increasing testing efficiency.

  • Researched EMI signal insertion with anechoic chamber measurement campaign and MATLAB DSP.

  • Designed and built omnidirectional shielded magnetic loop as proof of concept.

  • Built and tested 16 antennas including wideband monopoles, dipoles, loops, and various prototypes.

     

Publications

  • N. Bienert, D. Schroeder, and P. Summers, "Bistatic Radar Tomography of Shear Margins: Simulated Temperature and Basal Material Inversions," IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sens., Vol. 61, pp.1-16, Jan. 2023, doi: 10.1109/TGRS.2022.3213047. 

  • N. Bienert, D. Schroeder, S. Peters, E. MacKie, E. Dawson, M. Siegfried, R. Sanda, and P. Christoffersen, "Post-Processing Synchronized Bistatic Radar for Long Offset Glacial Sounding," IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sens., Jan. 2022, doi: 10.1109/TGRS.2022.3147172.

    • Accompanying datasets, manuals, and code:

      • N. Bienert et al,. bienert/Bistatic_Radar_Public: v1.0.0. (v1.0.0., 2021), Zenodo. [Online] doi:10.5281/zenodo.5565362.

      • N. Bienert et al., “Bistatic Radar Sounding of Whillans Ice Stream, Antarctica and Store Glacier, Greenland,” U.S. Antarctic Program Data Center, Columbia Univ, New York City, NY, USA, Sept 2021, doi: https://doi.org/10.15784/601472.

  • N. Bienert, "Distributed Ice Penetrating Radar Sounding Using Passive Synchronization," Ph.D. dissertation, EE Dept., Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA, 2022. Available: https://purl.stanford.edu/js381bq6260.

  • N. Bienert, M. Haynes, D. Schroeder, and R. Beauchamp, "SFMCW Orthogonal Wave Beamforming Concept for Distributed Orbital Sounding," in IEEE International Geosci. Remote Sens. Symp., Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 2022, pp. 84-87, doi: 10.1109/IGARSS46834.2022.9883236.

  • A. McLeod, S. Peters, R. Culberg, D. Schroeder, N. Bienert, W. Chu, T. Young, and P. Christoffersen, "Processing and Detecting Artifacts in Multi-Input Multi-Output Phase-Sensitive ICE Penetrating Radar Data," in IEEE International Geosci. Remote Sens. Symp., Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 2022, pp. 3786-3789, doi: 10.1109/IGARSS46834.2022.9883837.

  • K. Rao, Y. Uloa, N. Bienert, N. Chiariello, N. Holtzman, G. Quetin, S. Peters, K. Winstein, D. Castelletti, D. Schroeder, and A. Konings, "Side-facing P-Band Radar System to Monitor Tree Water Status," in IEEE International Geosci. Remote Sens. Symp., Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 2022, pp. 5559-5562, doi: 10.1109/IGARSS46834.2022.9883620.

  • T. J. Young, D. M. Schroeder, T. M. Jordan, P. Christoffersen, S. M. Tulaczyk, R. Culberg, and N. Bienert, “Inferring ice fabric from birefringence loss in airborne radargrams: Application to the eastern shear margin of Thwaites Glacier, West Antarctica,” Journal of Geophys. Research., Vol. 126, no. 5., April 2021, doi: https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JF006023.

  • D. Schroeder, N. Bienert, R. Culberg, E. MacKie, T. Teisberg, W. Chu, and D. Young, “Glaciological Constraints on Link Budget for Orbital Radar Sounding of Earth’s Ice Sheets” in IEEE International Geosci. Remote Sens. Symp., Brussels, Belgium, July 2021, doi: 10.1109/IGARSS47720.2021.9553237.

  • M. Haynes, R. Beauchamp, A. Khazendar, R. Mazouz, M. Quadrelli, P. Focardi, R. Hodges, W. Bertiger, and N. Bienert, “DEBRIS: Distributed Element Beamformer Radar for Ice and Subsurface Sounding” in IEEE International Geosci. Remote Sens. Symp., Brussels, Belgium, July 2021, doi: 10.1109/IGARSS47720. 2021.9554746.

  • N. Bienert, D. Schroeder, S. Peters, and M. Siegfried. “Processing-Based Synchronization Approach for Bistatic Radar Glacial Tomography,” in IEEE International Geosci. Remote Sens. Symp., Waikoloa Village, HI, USA, Sept. 2020, doi:10.1109/IGARSS39084.2020.9323969.

  • N. Bienert, “Resonance Radar Imaging” Undergraduate Thesis, EE Dept, Pennsylvania State Univ, University Park, 2018. Available: https://honors.libraries.psu.edu/catalog/5558nlb5224.

  • A. Babuscia, J. Sauder, A. Chandra, J. Thangavelautham, L. Feruglio, and N. Bienert, “Inflatable Antenna for CubeSat:  A New Spherical Design for Increased Gain at X-Band” in IEEE Aerospace Conf., Big Sky, MT, 2017, doi: 10.1109/AERO.2017.7943897.

Conference Presentations

  • N. Bienert, and D. Schroeder, “Bistatic Radar Inversions of 2D Thermal Structure inside Store Glacier, Greenland,” oral presentation at IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symp., Pasadena, CA, USA, July. 17-21, 2023.

  • N. Bienert, and M. Haynes, D. Schroeder, R. Beauchamp, “SFMCW Orthogonal Wave Beamforming Concept for Distributed Orbital Sounding," oral presentation at IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symp., Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July. 17-22, 2023.

  • A. McLeod, S. Peters, R. Culberg, D. Schroeder, N. Bienert, W. Chu, T. Young, and P. Christoffersen, “Processing and Detecting Artifacts in Multi-Input Multi-Output Phase-Sensitive Ice Penetrating Radar Data," oral presentation at IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symp., Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July. 17-22, 2023.

  • N. Bienert, D. Schroeder, R. Sanda*, E. Dawson, E. Mackie, S. Peters, and M. Siegfried, “Passively Synchronized Bistatic Radar System for Subsurface Tomography of Glaciers,” oral presentation at American Geophysics Union Fall Meeting., New Orleans, LA, USA, Dec. 13-17 17, 2021.

  • T. Young, T. Jordan, C. Martin, D. Schroeder, P. Christoffersen, S. Tulaczyk, R. Culberg, and N. Bienert, "Polarimetric Radar-Sounding to Infer and Quantify Shear Margin Ice Fabric Anisotropy", EGU, April 19-30, 2021. Virtual.

  • D. Schroeder, N. Bienert, R. Culberg, E. MacKie, T. Teisberg, W. Chu, and  D. Young, "Glaciological Constraints on Link Budgets for Orbital Radar Sounding of Earth's Ice Sheets", West Antarctic Ice Sheet Workshop, Sterling, VA, Sept 20-23, 2021.

  • M. Haynes, R. Beauchamp, A. Khazendar, R. Mazouz, M. Quadrelli, P. Focardi, R. Hodges, W. Bertiger, and N. Bienert, “DEBRIS: Distributed Element Beamformer Radar for Ice and Subsurface Sounding” in IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symp., Brussels, Belgium, July 11-16, 2021.

  • N. Bienert, D. Schroeder, S. Peters, and M. Siegfried, "Processing-Based Synchronization Approach for Bistatic Radar Glacial Tomography," oral presentation at the IEEE Geosci. and Remote Sens. Symp., Waikoloa Village, HI, USA, Sept. 26-Oct. 2, 2020.

  • M. Altenburg, D. Schroeder, R. Culberg, and N. Bienert, "Testing the Feasibility of Orbital Altitude Radar Sounding using a Multi-frequency Radar System," AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, Dec 9-13. 2019. 

Conference Posters

  • N. Bienert, D.M. Schroeder, R. Sanda, E. Dawson, E.J. MacKie, S.T. Peters, M.R. Siegfried, "Passively Synchronized Bistatic Radar System for Subsurface Tomography of Glaciers", AGU Fall Meeting, New Orleans, Dec. 13-17. 2021.

  • R. Sanda, D.M. Schroeder, N. Bienert, T.J. Young, P. Summers, S.M. Tulazcyk, P. Christoffersen, and the TIME Team, "Informing Bistatic Radar Experiments at Thwaites Glacier Using Bistatic Data from Greenland and West Antarctica", AGU Fall Meeting, New Orleans, Dec. 13-17. 2021.

  • A. McLeod, S.T. Peters, D.M. Schroeder, N. Bienert, T.J. Young, P. Christoffersen, "An Automated Approach to Processing and Detection of Artifacts in Phase-Sensitive Ice Penetrating Radar Data", AGU Fall Meeting, Online, Dec. 1-17. 2020.

  • N. Bienert, D.M. Schroeder, S.T. Peters, E.J. MacKie, M.R. Siegfried, E. Dawson, Design of a Direct Path Synchronized Bistatic Radar Technique for Long Offset Glacial Temperature Tomography, AGU Fall Meeting, Online, Dec. 1-17. 2020.

  • N. Bienert, D.M. Schroeder, S.T. Peters, M.R. Siegfried, "Processing-based synchronization approach for bistatic radar glacial tomography," IEEE Symposium on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Online, Sept 26 - Oct. 2. 2020.

  • H. Tran, D.M. Schroeder, N. Bienert, "Improvements to MIMO Radio Echo Sounder Array Design for Subsurface Imaging," AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, Dec. 9-13. 2019. 

  • N. Bienert, D.M. Schroeder, S.T. Peters, E. Dawson, E.J. MacKie, M.R. Siegfried, "Inferring Temperature Distribution in Shear Margins from Large-Offset Bistatic Radar Sounding," AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, Dec. 9-13. 2019. 

  • N. Bienert, D.M. Schroeder, S.T. Peters, M.R. Siegfried, E.J. MacKie, E. Dawson, "Inferring Temperature Distribution in Shear Margins using an ApRES and Software Defined Radio in a Bistatic Configuration", WAIS Workshop, Julian, Oct. 16-18. 2019.  

  • N. Bienert, D.M. Schroeder, S.T. Peters, M. Siegried, "Improving constraints on englacial temperature and water distribution using an autonomous phase-sensitive radio echo sounder (ApRES) and a bistatic software defined receiver", IGS Symposium on Five Decades of Radioglaciology, Stanford, July 8-12. 2019.

  • N. Bienert, D.M. Schroeder, H. Tran, M. Murray, "How to hack your ApRES", IGS Symposium on Five Decades of Radioglaciology, Stanford, July 8-12. 2019.  

  • N. Bienert, D.M. Schroeder, S.T. Peters, "Multi-Static Observations Using a Stationary Phase Sensitive Ice Penetrating Radar to Constrain Temperature and Water-Content Anomalies Across Shear Margins", AGU Fall Meeting, Washington DC, Dec. 10-14. 2018.

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