Knut Stamnes is a Professor in the Department of Physics and Engineering Physics and Director of the Light and Life Laboratory at Stevens Institute of Technology, New Jersey. His research interests include radiative transfer, ocean optics and remote sensing and he has published over 200 papers and co-authored two textbooks: this one and Radiative Transfer in Coupled Environmental Systems (2015). He is a fellow of the Optical Society (OSA), a member of the International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE) and a member of the Norwegian Academy of Technological Sciences.