Barnali B. Mitra Dixon
Areas of Expertise
I have extensive experience in the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, Global Positioning Systems (GPS), geostatistics, fuzzy logic and neural networks for environmental modeling and application of fuzzy logic and neural networks in image processing (remote sensing). Areas of research interests include advancement of environmental modeling through enhancement of remotely sensed data (image processing) and GIS using fuzzy logic, neural networks and neuro-fuzzy techniques. Applied environmental models include ground-water vulnerability, contaminant transport processes, ground-water recharge, rainfall-runoff simulation, ground and surface water quality, watershed risk assessment and management (soils, landuse and water quality relationship), land use planning (urbanization, soils and ground-water recharge relationship) and soil erosion.
Mailing Address
Department of Geography
College of Arts and Sciences Phone: (727) 553-1066
210 Davis Hall E-mail: bdixon@stpt.usf.edu
University of South Florida, St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Education
Ph.D. in Environmental Dynamics an interdisciplinary program between Geography and Geology (GIS, remote sensing, fuzzy logic, and neural networks in ground water contamination modeling), University of Arkansas (2001)
M.A. Geography (GIS, remote sensing and fuzzy logic in soil erosion modeling), University of Arkansas (1995)
M.A. Geography (remote sensing and terrain evaluation in environmental geomorphology), Visva Bharati University, India (1991)
B.A. Geography (Honors), Visva Bharati University, India (1989)
Professional Experience
Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, University of South Florida St. Petersburg, August 2001- present;
Responsibility:
Teaching, courses include: (i) Introduction to GIS, (ii) Remote Sensing of the Environment, (iii) Advanced Remote Sensing, (iv) Geographic Methods and Techniques and (v) Introduction to Physical Geography.
Current Research Funding: (i) Ground water vulnerability delineation using Neural Networks, fuzzy logicand Neuro-fuzzy techniques (USDA-CSREES: 2001 - 2004). This fund is supporting one graduate and three undergraduate students. (ii) In the process of getting involved in Florida GAP analysis 2000 – 2001.
Service: i) Helped organizing student participations in regional specialty conference: Measuring the earth - Digital Elevation Technologies and Applications – organized by ASPRS and MAPPS and Co-sponsored by NASA and USGS. October 29 – November 2, 2001, St. Petersburg, FL.
ii) Serving as a member of the dissertation committee of Ms. Cherie Keller, Dept. of Biology, USF (Tampa). Title of the dissertation is ‘Status of Gopher tortoise population in central Florida.’ A major component of her dissertation is image classification of Landsat Data.
Research Specialist, Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences (CSES), University of Arkansas, May 1995 to June 2001;
Responsibility: Development of models that are loosely coupled with GIS (i) using fuzzy logic and neural networks to predict ground water vulnerability to nitrate contamination in northwest Arkansas, (ii) identification of ground water vulnerability to pesticides using fuzzy logic in the Mississippi Delta region of Arkansas, (iii) determination of spatial variability of contamination of ground water in the Mississippi Delta region of Arkansas, (iv) prediction of soil productivity and crop yield using neural networks and fuzzy logic, (v) landuse change analysis using TM data for the Buffalo River Watershed, (vi) managing the development of Order II digital soils database and compiling secondary attributes for soils, and (vii) taught week-long short courses on GIS.
Graduate Assistant, Geography, University of Arkansas, August 93 to May 95;
Responsibility: Development of a fuzzy logic based system to predict soil erosion, collection and interpretation of morphometric data, and database development. The fuzzy logic based model used the parameters of USLE. Development and analysis of a digital database of geology for the Buffalo River Watershed. Taught classes in digital cartography and GIS Labs.
Research Assistant, Department of Geography, Visva Bharati University, India, September 91 to April 92;
Responsibility: Apply remote sensing techniques for landuse classification, maintain research database and perform statistical analysis. Helped teach Applied Geomorphology.
Grant activities
Past: Prediction of Ground Water Vulnerability to Animal Wastes/Fertilizers in Karst Topography using Fuzzy Logic. USGS- AWRC: $25,000 [2000 – 2001].
Current (2001): Ground Water Vulnerability Delineation using Neural Networks, Fuzzy Logic, and Neuro-Fuzzy techniques. USDA-CSREES: $305,000 [2001 – 2004].
Pending (2001): Characterization of Spatial and Temporal Variability of Water Quality Parameters in Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay Estuary Program: $ 4,400 [2002]
In
preparation (2002): Ground Water Vulnerability Assessment: An
Integrated Approach: $203,800 [2003 – 2006]
Journal Publications
1.
Mitra, B., H.
D. Scott, J.C. Dixon and J.M. McKimmey. 1998. Application of fuzzy logic to the
prediction of soils erosion in a large watershed. Geoderma. 86:183 -
209.
2.
Mitra, B., J.
M. McKimmey and H. D. Scott. 1997. Development and use of digital databases in
agricultural research. Trends in Agronomy, 1:1-17.
3.
Dixon, B., H.
D. Scott, J. C. Dixon and K. F. Steel. 2001. Prediction of aquifer
vulnerability to pesticides using fuzzy logic based models at the regional
scale. [accepted : Physical Geography].
4.
Dixon, B., H. D.Scott, J.C. Dixon and J. V.
Brahana. 2001. A GIS-based approach to predict ground water vulnerability using
neuro-fuzzy techniques [In Review: Annals of the AAG].
5.
Dixon, B., H. D.Scott, J.C. Dixon and J. V.
Brahana. 2001. Applicability of Neuro-fuzzy techniques in predicting ground
water vulnerability: A sensitivity analyses [In review: Ground Water].
6.
Dixon, B., H. D.Scott, J. V. Brahana, and J.C.
Dixon. 2001. Scale issues involved in
modeling ground water vulnerability with Neuro-fuzzy techniques [In preparation: to
be submitted to Ground Water].
7.
Dixon, B., J.
V. Skinner and H. D. Scott. 2002.
Use of fuzzy logic to predict soil productivity and crop yield. [In
preparation: to be submitted to Soil Science]
8. Dixon B., J. V. Skinner and H. D. Scott. 2002. Use of neural networks to predict soil productivity and crop yield. [In preparation: to be submitted to Soil Science].
8.
8.
8.Technical Reports and Other publications
1. Dixon, B. 2001. Application of Neuro-fuzzy techniques to predict ground water vulnerability in Northwest Arkansas. Ph.D. Dissertation. University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas.
2.
Dixon, B., T. H. Udouj, H. D. Scott, R. L.
Johnson and J.M. McKimmey. 2001. Soils of
Randolph County, Arkansas. Special report series. Arkansas
Agricultural Experiment Station. Pub. # 199. University of Arkansas,
Fayetteville.
3.
Dixon, B., T. H. Udouj, H. D. Scott, and J.M.
McKimmey. 2001. Soils of Clay County, Arkansas. Special report series.
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station. Pub # 202. University of Arkansas,
Fayetteville.
4.
Dixon, B., T. H. Udouj, H. D. Scott, and J.M.
McKimmey. 2001. Soils of Lawrence
County, Arkansas. Special report series. Arkansas Agricultural
Experiment Station. University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. [In review].
5.
Johnson, R.L., B. Dixon, H. D. Scott, J.M. McKimmey
and T.H. Udouj. 1999. Soils of Jackson County, Arkansas. Special report
series. Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station. Pub. # 192. University of
Arkansas, Fayetteville.
6.
Dixon, B. and
H. D. Scott. 1998. Use of fuzzy logic with modified DRASTIC parameters to
predict ground water contamination. In
(H. D. Scott, ed.) Vulnerability and use of ground and surface waters in the
southern Mississippi valley region. AWRC
Completion Report No. 269, 16 – 51.
7.
Scott, H.D., B.
Dixon, J.M. McKimmey, T. H. Udouj and R. L. Johnson. 1998. Soil of Desha
County, Arkansas. Special report series. Arkansas Agricultural
Experiment Station. Pub. # 187. University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.
8.
Mitra, B. 1995.
Application of fuzzy logic to identify soil erosion, M.A. Thesis, University of Arkansas. Fayetteville. Arkansas.
9. Mitra, B. 1991. Suri and Its Environs: A case study in environmental geomorphology, M.A.Thesis, Visva Bharati University. Santiniketan, West Bengal, India.
9.
Presentations at Professional Meetings
1.
Dixon, B and H. D. Scott. 2002. Determining appropriate size of the training data
sets for Neuro-fuzzy models to predict ground water vulnerability in Northwest Arkansas.
Presentation. Southern Branch,
American Society of Agronomy Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL, February
2.
Dixon, B., H. D. Scott and J. V. Brahana. 2002.
Application of Neuro-Fuzzy techniques to predict ground water vulnerability. Presentation. Third International Conference on
computer Simulation in Risk Analysis and Hazard Mitigation, Sintra, Portugal,
June.
3.
Dixon, B., H. D. Scott, J. V. Brahana, A.
Mauromoustakos, and J. C. Dixon. 2001. Delineation of ground water
vulnerability to agricultural contaminants using Neuro-fuzzy techniques. Presentation. Annual Meeting of Soil Science Society of
America, Charlotte, NC, October.
4.
Dixon, B., T. H. Udouj, and H. D. Scott. 2000.
Examination of Spatial variability of parameters affecting contamination of
ground water in Arkansas Delta. Presentation. Southern Regional Geological
Society of America Meeting . Fayetteville, AR. April.
5.
Dixon, B., T. H. Udouj, H. D. Scott, A. Mauromoustakos,
T. Kresse and F. Limp. 1999.
Analyses
of the Spatial Variability of Bentazon Contamination of Wells in the Arkansas
Delta Presentation. Arkansas GIS Users
Forum. Eureka Springs, AR. September.
6.
Dixon, B., H.
D. Scott, T. Kresse, K. F. Steele, and W.F. Limp. 1999. Comparison of the
Spatial Variability of Pesticide Contamination of Wells in the Arkansas Delta. Presentation. Annual Meeting Program of American
Society of Agronomy. Salt Lake City,
Utah October-Nov.
7.
Dixon, B, H. D.
Scott, H. S. Lin, K. F. Steel and J. C. Dixon. 1998. Comparison of modified
DRASTIC and fuzzy-logic predictive models in ground water contamination. Presentation.
Annual Meeting Program of American Society of
Agronomy , Baltimore. October.
8.
Udouj, T.H., B.
Dixon, and H. D. Scott. 1998. Application of GIS techniques to the analysis
of Spatial and Temporal Changes in the Buffalo River Watershed. Presentation.
American Society Agronomy Southern Regional
Meeting, Little Rock, AR. February.
9.
J. V. Skinner Jr., B.
Mitra and H. D. Scott. 1997. Use of Fuzzy Logic to Predict Soil
Productivity and Crop Yield. Presentation. Annual Meeting Program of American
Society of Agronomy. Anahiem CA. October.
10. Mitra, B. and T. H. Udouj. 1997. Applications of GIS in natural resource management: primary and secondary attributes of soils, Lonoke and Prairie Counties. Presentation. Arkansas GIS Users Forum. Hot Springs, AR. September.
10.
Teaching
Asst. Visiting Professor: (Fall 2001 – present, USF St. Petersburg)
Geographic Information Systems (Fall)
Remote Sensing of the Environment (Fall)
Geographic Methods and Techniques (Spring, 2002)
Advanced Remote Sensing (Spring, 2002)
Introduction to Physical Geography (Spring, 2002)
Research Specialist: (Summer 1995 – Summer 2001, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville)
Instructor[1]: Taught week-long short courses on GIS (Summer)
Guest Lecturer: Soil Physics (Spring)
Guest Lecturer: Mathematical Modeling (Fall)
Graduate
Assistant: (Fall 1993 – Spring 1995, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville)
Lab Instructor: Digital Cartography (Spring)
Lab Instructor: Introduction to GIS (Fall)
Research Assistant:
Lab Instructor: Applied Geomorphology (Fall 1991, Visva - Bharati University)
Computer
Skills
· Geographical Information Systems (GIS):
Arc 8; ArcView 3.2; ArcIMS 3.0, GRASS 4.1; Arc/Info; Intergraph MGE/MGA; IDRISI
3.0 (Windows); and MapInfo 4.1.
· Database Management Systems: Visual
dBASE 5.5; Relational database such as Informix
· Computer Modeling: BASINS 3.0; CARTO 3.1 (Decision Tree);
AbTech 3.5 (Polynomial Regression); SNNS 4.1 (Neural Networks); Fuzzy Inference
(Numata, v.2.0), NEFCLASS-J 2.0 (Neuro-fuzzy).
· Digitizing, CAD and Statistical packages:
Lt4x 4.02; CADImage/Scan 1.3; AutoCAD 12; JMP 3.1.6; Sigma plot 2.0; GS+;
Intergraph Microstation 5.0.
· Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry: ERDAS Imagine and PCI –Geomatica.
· Operating Systems Familiarity: Unix
(Solaris 2.6); Windows NT.
·Programming Languages: C; BASIC; Visual Basic, C++; Avenue; PERL 5.1; JAVA 1.2 and HTML.
·
Special Courses/Certificates
Vadose Zone Hydrology
Watershed Management – Modeling and GIS
Aspects
Water Quality of Surface and Ground Water and
Best Management Practices
Awards and Honors
Awarded National Merit Scholarship each year from 1986 through 1991 for outstanding scholarly achievements. Awarded numerous travel awards by the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville to attend conferences.
Name
of Referees
H. D. Scott, University Professor, Dept. of Crop, Soil and Environmental Science, Univ. of Arkansas. Address: 115 Plant Science, Fayetteville, AR 72701, Phone: (501) 575- 5740, E-mail: dscott@cleora.uark.edu.
J. C. Dixon, Professor, Dept. of Geosciences, Univ. of Arkansas. Address: 113 Ozark Hall, Fayetteville, AR 72701. Phone: (501) 575 – 5808, E-mail: jcdixon@comp.uark.edu
J. V. Brahana, Professor, Dept. of Geosciences, Univ. of Arkansas. Address: 113 Ozark Hall, Fayetteville, AR 72701. Phone: (501) 575 – 2570, E-mail: Jbrahana@uark.edu.
Additional Information
Extra
Curricula Activities:
Served as a member of National Social Service (NSS) program sponsored by Govt. of India between 1986 – 1991. I was particularly involved in mass literacy program for adults.
Citizenship: India
Permanent Resident of US
Personal: Married with a child.
Husband’s Citizenship: US.
Son’s Citizenship: US.
