Barry Bitters, Ph.D., GISP
6551 Robar Tesora
Navarre, Florida 32566
Phone: [850] 936-1060 or [850] 936-9327
STRENGTHS:
Remote Sensing....Image Processing....PHOTOGRAMMETRY…. Cartography…..Geographic Information Systems…..Terrain Visualization…..Real-Time Simulation....3-D Modeling….Ontology Development….. Software Development and Testing…..GIS & Image Processing Production
RESEARCH AREAS:
· Photo-Realistic Terrain Visualization
· Ontology Development
· Rapid Production of Wide Area Terrain Databases for Use in Real-Time Simulation
· Exploiting Disparate Sources of Spatial Data
· Probabilistic Augmentation of Existing Geospatial Databases
· Cognitive Display of Geographic Information
· Visualization of Very High-Resolution Imagery and Detailed GIS Data
· Rapid Production of Digital Terrain Models
· Digital Terrain Models and Land Use/Land Cover Data in Mobile Telecommunications
SPECIAL SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:
· Certified GIS Professional (GISP). Awarded 07/25/04 by the GIS Certification Institute.
· Possess a TS SCI based on a Special Background Investigation (SBI).
· Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) certified ArcView instructor.
· GIS software experience: ArcGIS, MapInfo, ERDAS, IDRISI.
· Simulation and Modeling Systems: Topscene, EaSIEST Tools, Target, TERREX, SiteBuilder3D.
· Photogrammetric/Image Processing Software: SOCET Set, ERDAS, ENVI/IDL.
· Operating Systems: UNIX, IRIX, Windows NT, and DOS , familiar with VAX-VMS.
· Programming Languages: C++, ARCINFO AML, Avenue, VBA, OWL, RDF.
EXPERIENCE:
2003 - Present Senior Research Scientist, Department of Environmental Studies, University of West Florida Principal investigator of a National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) research effort performing basic research into future cartographic visualization and real-time simulation systems. Research involves development of a broad-based, geographical ontology and shared vocabulary of visible object on the terrain. Also as a part of this effort an extensive collection of public-domain, freely distributable, 3-D models of common geographical features has been made publicly available.
1995 - 2006 Owner (jointly with wife) of a child early-learning facility for 127 pre-school children. Primary duties included small-business accounting, administration, and maintenance.
1998 - 2003 Adjunct Instructor, Department of Environmental Studies, University of West Florida teaching Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Global Positioning Systems (GPS), and environmental field collection methods and techniques.
1998 - 2004 General Manager of an Internet-based GIS data conversion/data capture business that provided specialized topographic and image processing services, data and software support to the telecommunications industry. Using advanced image processing and GIS software this company provided elevation data, aerial/satellite image products, and digital map data required for the planning and installation of telecommunications networks worldwide. In addition, we provide specialized GIS training to local governments and marketed a series of GIS data and software CDROMs used by educators and researchers worldwide.
1996 - 2003 Senior Software Engineer at a Lockheed Martin field site. In this capacity I was responsible for production in a 10-man operation that produced virtual databases for Air Force mission rehearsal anywhere in the world. I oversaw an enterprise network of UNIX, SGI and WINNT computers used to produce correlated, real-world visual and electro-optical simulations for multiple image generator/simulator systems. This included planning and oversight of all short-term and long-term database production. The day-to-day operation of this facility involved the acquisition of all forms and formats of digital imagery, digital GIS data, CAD data, and textual data. These data were then precision rectified and transformed into a common coordinate plane/datum and then converted into a geographic database for use in a variety of real-time simulation systems. GIS and image processing software products from ESRI, ERDAS, Intergraph, MapInfo, BAE, and Research Systems were used on a day-to-day basis throughout this production effort.
1991 - 1996 Image Processing Specialist, Loral Defense Systems, Akron. I performed engineering design, implementing, integrating, and testing of the U.S. Air Force's Special Operations Force Aircrew Training System (SOF ATS) Database Generation System (DBGS) -- an integrated advanced geographic information system (GIS), digital image analysis system and photogrammetric software system on SUN and DEC & Windows hardware (later transitioned to PC). As an image processing/digital data specialist, I assisted in all phases of software design throughout the entire life-cycle of the SOF ATS DBGS contract. I accompanied the system to Hurlburt Field, FL to perform final government acceptance testing, and remained on site to train operators, and develop a fully operation capability.
1971 – 1991 Chief Warrant Officer/Terrain Analyst, U.S. Army, Prior to entering private industry, I have 20 years of experience in military topography, intelligence and the computer science field. I held positions as production cartographer, map compiler, image interpreter, cartographic supervisor, terrain analyst, topographic operations manager, emergency actions officer and computer programmer/systems analyst. This included 5 years supervisory experience of 10 to 25 personnel using geographic information systems (GIS) in support of tactical simulation and environmental and land use planning. It also included 10 years of mid-level managerial experience to include budgeting; policy development; purchasing; personnel acquisition; employee performance counseling; and production planning, scheduling, and forecasting in a small organizational environment.
EDUCATION:
· Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL; Ph.D. – 2005.
· University of Akron, Akron, OH; MA – 1994.
· Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN; BS - 1989.
SELECTED AWARDS:
· 2006 - UWF Faculty Scholarly and Creative Activity Award - Title: Developing Enhanced Vegetation Displays for Virtual Environmental Databases.
· 2006 - ACSM-CaGIS Annual Cartographic Competition, Honorable Mention. Title: Virtual Map of Slaughter, Louisiana.
· 2005 - Best Paper Award, Simulation Interoperability Workshop, SISO, Toulouse, France, June 2005.
· 2005 - National Science Foundation Young Scholar Travel Award - Travel to the XXII International Cartographic Conference, A Coruna, Spain 9-16 June 2005
· 2003 - 3 year Nat’l Geospatial Intel. Agency NURI Research Grant - NMA501-03-BAA-0002 - Title: A Feature Classification Taxonomy for Future Mapping, Charting, and Geodesy (MC&G) Systems.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:
· Bitters, B. (2006). Future Database Generation: From Where Will the Data Come? Proceedings Simulation Interoperability Workshop, SISO, Stockholm, Sweden. June 2006.
· Bitters, B. (2006). Geospatial Perpetual Motion: Finding Hidden Information within Existing Geospatial Databases. Proceedings Image 2005 Conference. Scottsdale, AZ July, 2006.
· Bitters, B. (2005). An Ontological Data Structure for Real-Time Simulation. Proceedings I/ITSEC 2005 Conference. Orlando, FL, Dec. 2005.
· Bitters, B. (2005). Enhanced Urban Synthetic Environments Through Logical Feature Population Techniques. Proceedings Image 2005 Conference. Scottsdale, AZ July, 2005.
· Bitters, B. (2005). An Ontology of the Visual Domain for Synthetic Environments. Proceedings Simulation Interoperability Workshop, SISO, Toulouse, France. June 2005.
· Bitters, B. (2005). A Geographical Ontology of Objects in the Visual Domain. A dissertation defended at Florida State University, Tallahasse, FL, April 2005.
· Bitters, B. (2004). An Object Model of the Visual Domain for Synthetic Environments. Proceedings I/ITSEC 2004 Conference. Orlando, FL, Dec. 2004.
· Bitters, B. (2004). Real-time simulation database generation: A conceptual model for the future. Proceedings Simulation Interoperability Workshop, SISO, Edinburgh, Scotland. July 2004.
· Bitters, B. (2002). Feature Classification System and Associated 3-Dimensional Model Libraries for Synthetic Environments of the Future. Proceedings I/ITSEC 2002 Conference. Orlando, FL, Dec. 2002.
· Bitters, B. (2001). GIS, Virtual Reality, and Real-Time Simulation. Proceedings ESRI User’s Conference San Diego, CA, July, 2001.
· Bitters, B. (1999). One-Degree Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of the United States & Its Possessions. GeoData Software Systems, Inc, Navarre, FL.