David Bennett - UI Department of Geography

David Bennett
Associate Professor
Ph.D. The University of Iowa

"My research interests lie at the intersection of technology, policy, and science. While my work is squarely focused on geographic information science (GIScience), I am interested in the processes and the effects of environmental decision-making. Much of my research is done in the context of multidisciplinary teams and designed to understand the social and environmental tradeoffs associated with alternative policies. "

As I work on these multidisciplinary projects, I find myself most intrigued by the interactions that occur among system components. Such interactions often produce complex, nonlinear responses that would not have been foreseen through the analysis of individual subsystems. As a result, I increasingly frame my work in the context of complexity theory. The semi-structured nature of environmental problem solving places unique and challenging demands on GIScience. Recent projects designed to address some of these demands include the use of evolutionary algorithms to generate production possibility frontiers that illustrate tradeoffs among computing criteria and the use of multi-agent based simulation to understand the impact of management decisions on the migratory behavior of elk. This latter project has reignited my interest in the representation of spatial cognition and navigation in the digital domain.

GIScience research is also being integrated into the undergraduate learning experience at The University of Iowa. For example, Professor Marc Armstrong, Mr. Jerry Mount, and I are developing The Mobile Geographic Education (MoGeo) system. Using GIS, wireless communication networks, and agent-based technologies, we integrate elements of the classroom, computer laboratory , and field class to create a contextually-aware in situ learning environment with remote, real-time access to: 1) context-specific educational materials; 2) sophisticated spatial analyses; 3) high-end visualization and simulations; 4) feedback and evaluation; and 5) instructors and peers.

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Advisees:

Graduate Advisees

Ph.D.

Wenwu Tang (current)
Songfeng Wang (current)
Gang Zhong (current)
Heather Conley (2006)
Raja Sengupta (2000, SIUC, de facto)

Masters students

Kris Lund (current)
Lifang Huang
Xiaoying Yang
Blaine Ray (2001, Geography, KU)
Jerry Mount (1998, Geography, SIUC)
Indrani Sen (1997, Geography, SIUC)
Andrew Vitale (1997, Geography, SIUC)

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Courses:

Upper Division/Graduate

044:005 Fundamentals of GIS
044:110 GIS for Environmental Studies: Introduction
044:128 GIS for Environmental Studies: Applications
044:181 Field Methods Social/Environmental Geography
044:297 Special Topics in Geographic Information Science

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Grants:

External

NSF Human Social Dynamics. 2006-2009. Principal investigator for “Collaborative Research: AOC Social Complexity and the Management of the Commons.” with Paul Robbins, David McGinnis, Catherine Kline (Full grant $675,000, UI $198,355).
NSF Biocomplexity in the Environment: Dynamics of Coupled Natural and Human Systems, 2002-2005. Principal investigator for "Complexity across boundaries - coupled human and natural systems in the Yellowstone Northern Elk Winter Range." $94,230. This is a subgrant through Idaho State University, PI Dave McGinnis, with Duncan Pattern, Jason Shogren, and Bill Travis (full grant $638,000).
National Cancer Institute, 2002-2005. Investigator for "A GIS-based workbench to interpret cancer maps." PI. Gerard Rushton, with Barry Green. $1,494,201.
USDA, 2002-2004. Co-principal investigator for "Water quality protection in agroecosystems: integrating science, technology, and policy." $384,000. with R. Rajagopal (PI) and David Osterberg.
NSF Biocomplexity in the Environment: Dynamics of Coupled Natural and Human Systems, incubator grant. 2001-2002. Co-principal investigator for "Modeling biocomplexity and socio-economic decision-making under uncertainty." $46,183. with David McGinnis (PI).
Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural Research. 2000-2001. Principal investigator for "Decision support for water quality planning in multiple-ownership watersheds: the case of the Cache River and applications in other Illinois Watersheds." $53,381. This is a sub- grant through SIUC, PI- Jeff Beaulieu.
NSF/EPA/USDA Water and Watersheds. 1999-2002. Principal investigator for "Understanding the social context for ecological restoration in multiple-ownership watersheds: the case of the Cache River, Illinois". $91,000. This is a sub-grant through SIUC- Steve Kraft (PI), Chris Lant (PI), with Jeff Beaulieu, Jane Adams, Leslie Duram (full grant $718,000).
Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural Research. 1998. Principal investigator for "Decision support for watershed management and planning." 1998-1999. $25,000. This is a sub-grant through SIUC, PI Jeff Beaulieu.
Southern Illinois University Medical School. 1998. Participate in "Illinois health care." $15,000. with Paul Sarvela.
National Institute of Justice. 1997. Principal investigator for "Demonstrating the analytical utility of GIS for policing: moving beyond the descriptive". 1997-1998. $200,377. with Jim LeBeau (PI). Department of Justice. 1997.
Instruction/Training Grant. "GIS Coverages for Crab Orchard Wildlife Refuge". $5,890.
Southern Five Planning Commission. 1997. Instruction/Training Grant. "GIS-base maps for a regional water supply project". $2,800.
Regional Health Care Services. 1996. " A feasibility study for a mobile health care clinic". $15,000. with Paul Sarvela (PI).
Industry/University Government Cooperative Research Program. 1995. Principal investigator for" A user-friendly approach to identify management strategies for coal combustion residues using the CCRM-GIS database". $15,000.
City of Carbondale. 1995. Principal investigator for "Development of GIS databases", City
of Carbondale, IL. $5,000.
The Nature Conservancy. 1994. Principal investigator for "Ecosystem Function and Restoration in the Cache River Bioreserve." 1995-1998. $559,553. Chris Lant, Dave Sharpe, Jeffery Beaulieu, Ronald Brandon, Brooks Burr, Kathy Flanigan, Steven Kraft, Beth Middleton.

Internal

UI Liberal Arts Student Computing Fees Fund. 2006. Bennett, D.A., Armstrong, M.P., Mount, J. $53,217 ($27,054 recurring software costs, $26,163 annual equipment request for 2006-2007).
UI Liberal Arts Student Computing Fees Fund. 2005. Co-author of "Maintaining and Extending the Computational Infrastructure in a State-of-the-Art GIScience Curriculum." $27,000. With Marc Armstrong and Jerry Mount.
UI Liberal Arts Student Computing Fees Fund. 2004. Co-author of "Maintaining and Extending the Computational Infrastructure in a State-of-the-Art GIScience Curriculum." $27,000. With Marc Armstrong and Jerry Mount.
UI Liberal Arts Student Computing Fees Fund. 2003. Co-author of "Improving Our On-Ramp to the Information Superhighway: Upgrading Network Access to the Geographic Information System Instructional Laboratory." $11,100. With Marc Armstrong.
ATAC - Innovations in Instructional Computing . 2003. PI for "Geography Unfettered: Wireless Technologies in the Geographic Information Science Curriculum." $8,900. With Marc Armstrong.
UI Liberal Arts Student Computing Fees Fund. 2002. Co-author of "Retooling the Geographic Information System Instructional Laboratory." $14,000. With Marc Armstrong and Bill Kapp.
UI Liberal Arts Student Computing Fees Fund. 2002. Co-author of "Integrating Wireless GIS into the Geography Curriculum." $20,000. With Marc Armstrong and Bill Kapp.
UI Liberal Arts Student Computing Fees Fund. 2001. Co-author of "Retooling the Geographic Information System Instructional Laboratory." $30,000. With Marc Armstrong and Bill Kapp.
KU Research Development Fund (RDF). 1998. Co-principle investigator for "Coupled Remote Sensing and Climate Model for Determining Crop Productivity." $40,578. Johan Fedemma, Kevin Price, and Terry Slocum.
KU Research Development Fund (RDF). 1998. Co-principle investigator for "Pre-proposal for Digital Libraries Consortium: Map archival and distribution." $101,140. Donna Keop, Johan Fedemma.
Pontikes Center for Management of Information. 1996. Principle investigator for "A Distributed Modelbase Management System for Spatial Decision Making." $1,750. with Raja Sengupta.

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Other Information:

Office: 307 Jessup Hall

Department of Geography
316 Jessup Hall
The University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa 52242
Phone: (319) 335-0158
Fax: (319) 335-2725

e-mail: david-bennett@uiowa.edu

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Publications:

Selected Publications

Refereed journal articles

Gartner, G., Bennett, D.A., and Morita, T. accepted. “Toward Ubiquitous Cartography” Cartography and Geographic Information Science.

Bennett, D.A., and McGinnis, D. accepted. Coupled and Complex: Human-Environment Interaction in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, USA. Geoforum.

Xiao, N., Bennett, D.A., Armstrong, M.A., 2007, Interactive evolutionary approached to multiobjective spatial decision making: a synthetic review. Computers, Environment, and Urban Systems, 31: 232-252.

Bennett, D.A., and Tang, W., 2006, Modeling Yellowstone's northern range elk herd as adaptive, spatially aware, and mobile agents. International Journal of Geographical Information Science, 20(9):1039-1066.

Brown, D.G., Aspinall, R., Bennett, D.A., 2006, Landscape Models and Explanation in Landscape Ecology—A Space for Generative Landscape Science? The Professional Geographer, 58(4):369–382.

Armstrong, M.P. and Bennett, D.A. 2005. A manifesto for mobile geographic education. The Professional Geographer. 57(4):506-515.

Lant, C.L. Kraft, S.E., J. Beaulieu, D. Bennett, T. Loftus, and J. Nicklow, 2005. Using Ecological-Economic Modeling to Evaluate Policies Affecting Agricultural Watersheds. Ecological Economics 55(4): 467-484.

Bennett, D.A., Xiao, N., Armstrong, M.P. 2004. Exploring the geographic consequences of public policies using evolutionary algorithms. Annals of the Association of American Geographers.

Armstrong, M.P ., Xiao, N., Bennett, D.A. 2003. Using Genetic Algorithms to Create Class Intervals for Choropleth Maps. Annals of the Association of American Geographers.93(3):595-623.

Sengupta, R.R. and Bennett D.A. 2003. Agent-based modeling environment for spatial decision support. International Journal of Geographic Information Science. 17(2): 157-180.

Xiao, N., Bennett, D.A., Armstrong, M.P. 2002. Using evolutionary algorithms to generate alternatives for multiobjective site-search problems, Environment and Planning A. 34 (4): 639-656.

Xiao, N., Bennett, D.A., Middleton, B., Fessel, K. 2002. SISM: a multi scale model for cypress swamp regeneration. Geographical and Environmental Modelling. 6(1):99116.

Bartley, J.D., Buddemeier, R. W., Bennett, D.A. 2001. Coastline complexity: a parameter for the functional classification of coastal environments. Journal of Sea Research, 46(2):87- 97.

Lant, C., Loftus, T., Kraft, S., and Bennett, D.A. 2001, Land-use dynamics in a southern Illinois (USA) watershed. Environmental Management, 27(3): 325-340.

Bennett, D.A. and Vitale, A. 2001. Evaluating non-point pollution policy using a tightly coupled spatial decision support system. Environmental Management, 27(6):825-836.

Sengupta, R., Bennett, D.A., Beaulieu, J., and Kraft, S.E. 2000. Evaluating the impact of policy -induced land use management practices on non-point source pollution using a spatial decision support system. Water International, 25(3),437-445.
Bennett, D.A., Wade, G.A., and Armstrong M.P. 1999. Exploring the solution space of semi-structured geographical problems using genetic algorithms. Transactions in GIS. 3(1):51-71.

Bennett, D.A. 1997. Managing geographical models as repositories of scientific knowledge. Geographical and Environmental Modelling. 1 (2): 115-133.

Bennett, D.A. 1997. A framework for the integration of geographical information systems and modelbase management. International Journal of Geographical Information Science 11(4): 337-357.

Bennett, D.A., Armstrong, M.P. 1996. An inductive knowledge-based approach to terrain feature extraction. Cartography and Geographic Information Systems. 23(1): 3-19.

Armstrong, M.P. and Bennett, D.A. 1990. A bit-mapped classifier for groundwater quality assessment. Computers and Geosciences, 16(6): 811-832.

Refereed book chapters

Bennett, D.A. and Tang, W. accepted. Mobile Aware Intelligent Agents. In Understanding Dynamics of Geographic Domains, edited by M. Yuan and K. Stewart. CRC Press/Taylor & Francis.

Bennett, D.A. accepted. Evolutionary Algorithms. Encyclopedia of Geographic Information Science, edited by K. Kemp (Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications).

Bennett, D.A., Armstrong, M.P., Mount. J.D. 2007. MoGeo: A location-based educational service. In Lecture Notes in Geoinformation and Cartography: Location Based Services and Telecartography, edited by G. Gartner, W. Cartwright, and M.P. Peterson (New York: Springer): 493-508.

Mount, J.D., Bennett, D.A., Armstrong, M.P. 2006. Mobile Geographic Education: The MoGeo System. In Lecture Notes in Geoinformation and Cartography: Geographic Hypermedia- Concepts and Systems, edited by E. Stefanakis, M.P. Peterson, C. Armenakis, V. Delis (New York: Springer): 447-465.

Feddema, J.J. Shields, J., Taylor, 0., Bennett, D. 2003. Simulating the development and migration of the monarch butterfly. In Monarch Butterfly Biology and Conservation, edited by. K. Oberhauser and M. Solensky (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press).

Bennett, D.A., and Armstrong M.P. 2002. Fundamentals of geographic information systems (GIS). In Manual of Geospatial Science and Technology, edited by J. Bossler (London:Taylor and Francis).

Sengupta, R., and Bennett, D.A. 2001. Making Internet-based depositories of geographical data usable with intelligent agent technology. In Geographic Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery, edited by H. J. Miller and J. Han (London:Taylor and Francis): 110-128.

Bennett, D.A., Sengupta, R., Beaulieu, J.R., Kraft, S.E. 2000. Integrating simulation models and geographic information for environmental problem solving. In Spatial Information for Land Use Management, edited by M. J. Hill and R. J. Aspinall (Newark, NJ: Gordon & Breach Publishing):69-80.

Bennett, D.A., Wade, G.A., Sengupta, R. 1999. Geographical modeling in heterogeneous computing environments. In Interoperating Geographic Information Systems, edited by M. Goodchild, M. Egenhofer, R. Fegeas, and C. Kottman, (New York: Kluwer Publications).

Hageman, J. and Bennett, D.A. 1999. Construction of digital elevation models for archaeological applications. In Practical Applications of GIS to Archaeology: a Toolkit, edited by K.L. Westcott and J. Brandon (London: Taylor and Francis):113-127.

Bennett, D.A, Armstrong, M.P., and Weirich, F. 1996. An object-oriented model base management system for environmental simulation. In GIS and Environmental Modeling: Progress and Research Issues, edited by M.F. Goodchild, B.O. Parks, and L. T .Steyaert (Fort Collins: GIS-World Books):439-443.

Malanson, G.P., Armstrong, M.P., and Bennett, D.A. 1996. Fragmented forest response to climatic warming and disturbance. In GIS and Environmental Modeling: Progress and Research Issues, edited by M.F. Goodchild, B.O. Parks, and Steyaert (Fort Collins: GIS- World Books):243-247.

Conference proceedings, abstracts were subject to a refereed selection process

Muste, M., Bennett, D., Kim, D., and Papanicolaou, A., 2006. The Clear Creek Environmental Hydrologic Observatory: From Vision Toward Reality. Advances in Hydro Science and Engineering: The proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Hydroscience and Engineering (ICHE-2006), Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA.

Bennett, D.A., Armstrong, M.P., Mount, J.D., 2005. MoGeo: A location-based educational service. Proceeding of 3rd Symposium on LBS & TeleCartography, Vienna, Austria. 217-222.

Bennett, D.A., Tang, W. 2005. Modeling Elk Migration and Trophic Cascades in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: An Agent-based approach. Proceeding of Open Science Conference: Global Change in Mountain Regions, Perth, Scotland.

Bennett, D.A. and Tang, W. 2005. An agent-based simulation of Yellowstone’s northern range elk herd: a cognitive approach. Proceedings of Geocomputation 2005. Ann Arbor MI.

Mount, J.D., Armstrong, M.P., Bennett, D.A. 2005. Field-based geographic education using mobile computers. Proceedings of the Joint ICA Commission on Internet-based Cartographic Teaching and Learning: Atlases, Map Use, and Visual Analytics. Madrid, Spain. 54-59.

Mount, J., Armstrong, M.P., Bennett, D.A., 2004. Using mobile GIS in educational settings. Proceedings of the First International Joint Workshop on Ubiquitous, Pervasive, and Internet Mapping, Tokyo, Japan. 41-50.

Wang, S., Bennett, D. A., Armstrong, M. P., Rajagopal, R., and Brands, E. 2002. Using Grid-enabled teleimmersive spatial decision support systems (TIDSS) to visualize uncertainty for water quality protection in agroecosystems. Proceedings of the International. Geoinformatics 2002 Conference for Global Change Studies and Sustainable Development. Nanjing, P.R. China.

Xiao, N. Armstrong, M.P., Bennett, D.A. 2002. ChoroWare: a software toolkit for choropleth map classification. In New Tools for Spatial Data Analysis: Proceeding of CSISS Specialist Meeting, edited by L. Anselin and S.J. Rey. CD-ROM Santa Barbara, CA: The Center for Spatially Integrated Social Science.

Bennett, D.A., Martinez-Meyer, E., Feddema, J. 2000. The effect of measurement error on habitat utilization models. 4th International Conference on Integrating GIS and Environmental Modeling (GIS/EM4): Problems, Prospects and Research Needs. Banff, Alberta, Canada. CD and http://www .colorado.edu/research/cires/banff/ .

Beaulieu, J., Bennett, D.A., Kraft, S.E. 2000. Ecological-economic modeling on a watershed basis: lessons from the Cache River of southern Illinois. 4th International Conference on Integrating GIS and Environmental Modeling (GIS/EM4): Problems, Prospects and Research Needs. Banff, Alberta, Canada. CD and http:/ /www .colorado.edu/research/cires/banff/.

Xiao, N., Bennett, D.A., Armstrong, M.P. 2000. Solving spatio-temporal optimization problems with genetic algorithms: A case study of a bald cypress seed dispersal and seedling growth model. 4th International Conference on Integrating GIS and Environmental Modeling (GIS/EM4): Problems, Prospects and Research Needs. Banff, Alberta, Canada. CD and http:/ /www .colorado.edu/research/cires/banff/ .

Beaulieu, J., Bennett, D., Kraft, S., Sengupta, R. 1998. Ecological-economic modeling on a watershed basis: a case study of the Cache River of southern Illinois. Annual Meetings of the American Agricultural Economics Association, Salt Lake City, Utah. http:/ /agecon.lib. umn.edu/aaea.html.

Xiao, N., Bennett, D., Middleton, B, Fessel, K. 1998, A topographically-based model for seed dispersal and swamp dynamics. Proceedings of GIS/LIS '98 (Bethesda, MD: American Congress on Surveying and Mapping) CD.

Bennett, D.A., Wade, G. A., Armstrong M.P. 1997. Exploring the solution space of semi- structured spatial problems using genetic algorithms. Proceedings of Auto-Carto 13 (Bethesda, MD: American Congress on Surveying and Mapping): 234-243.

Vitale, A.J. and Bennett, D.A. 1997. The Cumulative effect of land use change on sediment yield in Cypress Creek, Illinois. Proceedings of GIS/LIS '97 (Bethesda, MD: American Congress on Surveying and Mapping).

Wade G.A., and Bennett, D.A. 1997. GNS: A Distributed hierarchical topical nomenclature for geographic data. Proceedings of GIS/LIS '97 (Bethesda, MD: American Congress on Surveying and Mapping).

Wade G.A., Bennett, D.A., Sengupta, R. 1997. An interactive distributed architecture for geographical modeling. Proceedings of Auto-Carto 13 (Bethesda, MD: American Congress on Surveying and Mapping):307-316.

Bennett, D.A., Armstrong M.P., Wade, G. A. 1996. Agent mediated consensus-building for environmental problems: a genetic algorithm approach. Proceedings of Third International Conference on Environmental Modeling and Geographic Information Systems (Santa Barbara, CA: National Center for Geographical Analysis) CD and www.

Sengupta, R., Bennett, D.A., and Wade G.A. 1996. Agent mediated links between GIS and spatial modeling software using a model definition language. Proceedings of GIS/LIS '96 (Bethesda, MD: American Congress on Surveying and Mapping):295-309.

Bennett, D.A., and Sharpe, D.M. 1995; Multi-scale integrative modeling for ecosystem management, Cache River Watershed, Illinois. Proceedings of GIS/LIS'95 (Bethesda, MD: American Congress on Surveying and Mapping):53-62.

Bennett, D.A. and Armstrong, M.P. 1994. An object-oriented geographical modeling system. Proceedings of the Object-oriented Simulation Conference.

Bennett, D.A. and Armstrong, M.P. 1993. A modelbase management system for geographical analysis. Proceedings of GIS/LIS '93, Volume 1 (Bethesda, MD: American Congress on Surveying and Mapping):48-57.

Armstrong, M.P. and Bennett, D.A. 1990. A knowledge based object-oriented approach to cartographic generalization. Proceedings of GIS/LIS '90 , Volume 1 (Bethesda, MD: American Congress on Surveying and Mapping):48-57.

Armstrong, M.P., Densham, P.J., Bennett, D.A. 1989. Object-oriented locational analysis. Proceedings of GIS/LIS '89, Volume 2 (Bethesda, MD: American Congress on Surveying and Mapping):717- 726.

Bennett, D.A. and Armstrong, M.P. 1989. An inductive bit-mapped classification scheme for terrain feature extraction. Proceedings of GIS/LIS '89, Volume 1 (Bethesda, MD: American Congress on Surveying and Mapping):59-68.

Armstrong, M.P. and Bennett, D.A. 1988. Design and implementation of a groundwater quality advisory system. l. W. Frazier, B.l. Epstein, T .L. Bell, and E.L. Hillsman, eds., Papers and Proceedings of the Applied Geography Conferences, 11: 10-16.

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