Benoit Rivard received the Ph.D. degree in earth and planetary sciences from Washington University, St. Louis, MO, in 1990. He is currently a Professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences of the University of Alberta, Canada. He is a geologist with particular interest in the development of applied geological remote sensing. His key research preoccupation is to develop the analysis of hyperspectral sensing (field, airborne and spaceborne) to improve the effectiveness of oil/mining industry, and mapping agencies to delineate and manage their targeted resources. In this respect he has been working to: 1) automate the hyperspectral analysis of rock cores and wall rock toward mineral mapping and rock type classification; 2) improve the analysis of hyperspectral imagery for northern regions that are remote and difficult to access; and 3) to improve the analysis of hyperspectral data for boreal and tropical forests. Past research interests have included the use of Radar remote sensing for lithologic and structural mapping, and the development of methodologies for precise measurement of emissivity.