Bob is currently involved in the TLS (Tunable Laser Spectrometer) instrument project. TLS will be in the MSL science payload. He is also involved in the airborne Laser Absorption Spectrometer (LAS) science and development activities, as well as the active global-scale atmospheric CO₂ measurement mission concepts being studied by NASA (ASCENDS mission concept) and ESA (A-SCOPE mission concept).

Bob has recently assumed a role as Division Technologist, working with Instruments and Science Data Systems Division management to foster development of technologies relevant to future interests of the organization.

• B.S. in Physics, 1965; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
• M.S. in Physics, 1967; California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
• Ph.D. in Physics, 1970; California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California

• Atmospheric science
• Atmospheric optics and spectroscopy
• Remote sensing techniques and technologies
• Laser sensing and instrument development

• Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California
• Division Technologist (2007-present)
• Manager, Microwave Systems Section (2004-2007)
• Manager, Microwave Experiment Systems and Technology Section (2001-2004)
• Manager, Microwave and Lidar Technology Section (1998-2001)
• Supervisor, Laser Remote Sensing Group (1980-1998)
• Senior Research Scientist (1988-present)

• Fellow, IEEE (2006)
• OSA Citation for contribution as Editor, Applied Optics, Lasers, Photonics, and Environmental Optics Division ((2005)
• NASA Group Achievement Award, Lidar In-Spce Technology Experiment (LITE) Team (1995)
• NASA Group Achievement Award, Airborne Backscatter Lidar Team (1991)
• Fellow, OSA ((1986)

1. R.T. Menzies and D.M. Tratt, "Differential laser absorption spectrometry for global profiling of tropospheric carbon dioxide: selection of optimum sounding frequencies for high-precision measurements," Appl. Optics, 42, pp. 6569-6577, (2003).
2. D.M. Tratt, R.T. Menzies, M.P. Chiao, D.R. Cutten, J. Rothermel, R.M. Hardesty, J.N. Howell, and S.L. Durden, "Airborne Doppler lidar investigation of the wind-modulated sea-surface angular retroreflectance signature," Appl. Opt., 41, pp. 6941-6949, (2002).
3. R.T. Menzies, D.M. Tratt, J.D. Spinhirne, and D. L. Hlavka, "Aerosol layers over the Pacific Ocean: Vertical distributions and optical propoerties as observed by multiwavelength airborne lidars," J. Geophys. Res., 107, 10.1029/2001JD001196, (2002).
4. D.R. Cutten, J.D. Spinhirne, R.T. Menzies, D.A. Bowdle, V. Srivastava, R.F. Pueschel, A.D. Clarke, and J. Rothermel, "Intercomparison of Pulsed Lidar Data with Flight Level CW Lidar Data and Modeled Backscatter from Measured Aerosol Microphysics near Japan and Hawaii," J. Geophys. Res., 103, pp. 19,649-19,661, (1998).
5. R.T. Menzies, D.M. Tratt, and W.H. Hunt, "Lidar In-space Technology Experiment Measurements of Sea Surface Directional Reflectance and the Link to Surface Wind Speed," Appl. Opt., 37, pp. 5550-5559, (1998).
6. J. Rothermel, D.R. Cutten, R.M. Hardesty, R.T. Menzies, J.N. Howell, S.C. Johnson, D.M. Tratt, L.D. Olivier, and R.M. Banta, "The Multi-Center Airborne Coherent Atmospheric Wind Sounder," Bull. Amer. Meteorol. Soc., 79, pp. 581-599, (1998).
7. B.T. McGuckin, D.A. Haner, and R.T. Menzies, "Multiangle Imaging Spectroradiometer; Optical Characterization of the Calibration Panels," Appl. Opt., 36, pp. 7016-7022, (1997).
8. R. T. Menzies and D. M. Tratt, "Airborne lidar observations of tropospheric aerosols during the Global Backscatter Experiment (GLOBE) Pacific circumnavigation missions of 1989 and 1990," J. Geophys. Res., 102, pp. 3701-3714, (1997).
9. W. E. Baker, G. D. Emmitt, F. Robertson, R. M. Atlas, J. E. Molinari, D. A. Bowdle, J. Paegle, R. M. Hardesty, R. T. Menzies, T. N. Krishnamurti, R. A. Brown, M. J. Post, J. R. Anderson, A. C. Lorenc, and J. McElroy, "Lidar-Measured Winds from Space: A Key Component for Weather and Climate Prediction," Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 76, pp. 869-888, (1995).
10. R. T. Menzies and D. M. Tratt, "Evidence of Seasonally Dependent Stratosphere-troposphere Exchange and Purging of Lower Stratospheric Aerosol from a Multiyear Lidar Data Set," J. Geophys. Res., 100, pp. 3139-3148, (1995).
11. R. T. Menzies and D. M. Tratt, "Airborne CO2 Coherent Lidar for Measurements of Atmospheric Aerosol and Cloud Backscatter," Appl. Opt., 33, pp. 5698-5711, (1994).
12. B. T. McGuckin, R. T. Menzies, and C. Esproles, "Tunable Frequency Stabilized Diode Laser Pumped Tm,Ho:YLF Laser at Room Temperature," Appl. Opt., 32, pp. 2082-2084, (1993).
13. M. P. McCormick, D. M. Winker, E. V. Browell, J. A. Coakley, C. S. Gardner, R. M. Hoff, G. S. Kent, S. H. Melfi, R. T. Menzies, C.M.R. Platt, D. A. Randall, and J. A. Reagan, "Scientific Investigations Planned for the Lidar In-Space Technology Experiment (LITE)," Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 74, pp. 205-214, (1993).
14. R. T. Menzies and R. M. Hardesty, "Coherent Doppler Lidar for Measurements of Wind Fields," Proc. IEEE, March, 1989.