Offer Rozenstein Ph.D.
Senior Researcher (Mathematical Models in Crop Irrigation); Department Chair (Environmental Physics and Irrigation)
Biography
Dr. Offer Rozenstein is a senior researcher at the Agricultural Research Organization (ARO) Volcani Institute. He holds three degrees from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev: a B.A. in Geography and Environmental Development, and Psychology, an M.A. in Desert Studies, and a Ph.D. in Remote Sensing. His professional journey includes a postdoctoral position at McGill University and a sabbatical at the University of Turin, Italy, where he focused on remote and proximal sensing applied to agriculture and data-driven decision support.
Dr. Rozenstein’s research primarily revolves around developing innovative geospatial analysis techniques to enhance agricultural productivity and sustainability. His notable achievements include pioneering the Split-Window-Algorithm for Land Surface Temperature estimation from Landsat-8 TIRS data, and developing thermal spectroscopy methods for sorting black plastic polymers in the recycling industry. His work in remote sensing-based estimations of crop water consumption has led to significant advancements in precision irrigation practices.
Throughout his career, Dr. Rozenstein has been recognized with several awards, including the Tim Casgrain Water Resource Research Award, the Mokadi Award for outstanding doctoral thesis from the Israeli Society of Soil Sciences, the Yehiel Admoni Award for exceptional research in combating desertification, and the Mashav Award for a Promising Young Agricultural Researcher.
Dr. Rozenstein is actively involved in international scientific collaborations and initiatives. He has organized and participated in numerous international workshops and conferences, such as the UK-Israel workshops on data-driven agricultural decision making and currently leads a workgroup in PANGEOS Cost Action focusing on digital twin models for precision agriculture. Additionally, he has contributed to the SENSECO COST Action, focusing on optical synergies for spatiotemporal sensing of scalable ecophysiological traits. His extensive contributions to international scientific committees highlight his commitment to advancing global agricultural research and innovation.
Education
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2005-2008
B.A. (Summa Cum Laude) in Geography and Environmental Development (major) and Psychology (major) at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
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2008-2010
M.A. (Cum Laude) in Desert Studies at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
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2010-2014
Ph.D. in Remote Sensing at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
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2014-2016
Postdoctoral position at McGill University, Canada, with Prof. Jan Adamowski.
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2024-2025
Sabbatical leave at the University of Turin, Italy, with Prof Lorenzo Comba.
Research Interests
Dr. Offer Rozenstein’s lab at the ARO Volcani Institute is at the forefront of innovative research in remote sensing, precision agriculture, and digital agriculture. Over the last few years, the lab has concentrated on developing advanced geospatial analysis techniques to enhance agricultural productivity and sustainability. Key projects include the integration of multi-sensor data for accurate crop stress detection, the application of deep learning techniques for gap-filling in crop evapotranspiration data, and the use of data-driven agricultural technologies to improve irrigation practices. These efforts aim to optimize resource use, increase crop yields, and support sustainable farming practices, addressing critical challenges in modern agriculture.
Research Areas
- remote sensing
- precision agriculture
- irrigation
- digital agriculture