Meredith Kupinski

Research Summary

Polarization plays a unique role in Imaging Science and Optical Engineering because system performance can often be substantially improved when polarization effects are exploited and polarization-sensitive measurements are utilized. Polarization measurements can also add scientific capabilities to systems. Formulating tractable system-performance optimizations to design polarization imaging systems, perform detection/classification tasks, and configure data-acquisition protocols are the foundation of the research at the Polarization Lab. Current projects and collaborations include atmospheric measurements and modeling of cloud polarization and wildfire smoke. Our expertise in computer vision and rendering is utilized to demonstrate novel capabilities using polarization aware systems.

The core values of the people in the Polarization Lab at the Wyant College of Optical Sciences are diversity and inclusion. To us the future of science is exciting and we have a chance to contribute in many ways. The technical problems are getting harder, the teams are getting larger, the stakeholders more nuanced, and funding sources continue to shift. It seems more relevant and EXCITING than ever to strive for the ideals of equal opportunity and participation. This ideal is timeless, multi-generational, and the UA has clearly recognized that progress demands institutional investment. We recognize the legacy of exclusion of the Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous communities within academia and optics, and we confirm our commitment to dismantling exclusionary systematic practices.

OSC Colloquium Recording, March 15, 2022
"Polarization Observations: From Cloud Emission to Fresnel Dominated Scattering"