Robert W. Jansen was born in Mankato, MN, on October 4, 1959. He received the B.S. degree in mathematics and physics from Mankato State University in 1981 and the Ph.D. degree in theoretical solid state physics from Arizona State University in 1987.
From 1987 to 1989, he worked as a Post-Doctoral Associate in the condensed matter and radiation science division of the Naval Research Laboratory. He worked from 1989 to 1991 at Dynamics Technology, where he became interested in remote sensing. Since January 1991, he has been employed in the Remote Sensing Division of the Naval Research Laboratory at Washington, DC. His research efforts have encompassed a broad range of topics. In the area of solid-state physics, he has made numerous contributions to the understanding of the electronic structure and energetics of defects in semiconductors. Since 1990, he has been involved in research relating to remote sensing of the ocean surface. His primary focus has been the effects of wave-current interaction on surface wind waves and real- and synthetic-aperture radar imaging of the ocean surface. He is also involved in other aspects of ocean research, including signal processing, system modeling and simulation, bathymetry prediction from radar signatures, radiowave propagation, and electromagnetic scattering.