Team

PoPS was started in 2018 in the Center for Geospatial Analytics at North Carolina State University in collaboration with USDA-APHIS. It has rapidly grown into a talented team of field scientists, computer and data scientists, and government organizations dedicated to changing the way pests and pathogens are managed.

Development Team

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Chris Jones
Research Scholar
Center for Geospatial Analytics,
North Carolina State University

Lead developer of PoPS web platform; serves as project team manager, providing technical guidance and operational and strategic oversight

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Ross Meentemeyer
Director
Center for Geospatial Analytics,
North Carolina State University

Provides high-level leadership, scientific guidance, and strategic oversight

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Vacalv Petras
Research Software Engineer
Center for Geospatial Analytics,
North Carolina State University

Lead developer of the C++ library API and developer of PoPS module for GRASS GIS; simulation of interception of pests at US ports

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Anna Petrasova
Research Software Engineer
Center for Geospatial Analytics,
North Carolina State University

Lead developer of the tangible user interface Tangible Landscape, and developer for PoPS management module and PoPS modules for GRASS GIS

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Shannon Jones
Research Associate
Center for Geospatial Analytics,
North Carolina State University

Lead front-end developer of PoPS web platform; performs website design, scientific illustration, and video production

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Ben Seliger
Postdoctoral Scholar
Center for Geospatial Analytics,
North Carolina State University

Automating surveillance alerts using citizen scientist data, develops rapid host maps and identifying parcel-level treatment priorities

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Kellyn Montgomery
Ph.D. Student
Center for Geospatial Analytics,
North Carolina State University

Examines global transportation networks and their relationship to pest interception at US ports

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Nick Kruskamp
Ph.D. Student
Center for Geospatial Analytics,
North Carolina State University

Generates high-resolution host maps with complete spatial uncertainty estimations using machine learning

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Garrett Millar
Ph.D. Student
Center for Geospatial Analytics,
North Carolina State University

User experience study; develops questions and analyzes responses to assess technology usability and user preferences

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Thom Worm
Ph.D. Student
Center for Geospatial Analytics,
North Carolina State University

Building a machine-readable database of pests’ biological traits and examining global trade networks to understand mechanisms of pest introduction

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Megan Skrip
Science Communicator
Center for Geospatial Analytics,
North Carolina State University

Ensures clarity of official project reports and publications, publicizes project findings through news writing and social media

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Umesh Gupta
Ph.D. Student
Center for Geospatial Analytics,
North Carolina State University

Developer of a spatial-temporal neural network to forecast pest or pathogen spread

Affiliates

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Devon Gaydos
Agriculturalist
Phytosanitary Advanced Analytics Team,
USDA-APHIS

Provides insights into Field Operations and Policy needs for co-developing management strategies

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Yu Takeuchi
Senior Research Scholar
Center for Integrated Pest Management,
North Carolina State University

Connects PoPS forecasting efforts with SAFARIS initiative

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Ron Sequira
Associate Deputy Administrator
Plant Protection and Quarantine, Science and Technology,
USDA-APHIS

Provides high-level leadership, scientific guidance, and strategic oversight on decision making needs

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Jean Ristaino
Professor
Plant and Microbial Biology,
North Carolina State University

Head of NC State’s Global Food Security faculty cluster; co-develops new collaborations between the cluster and Center for Geospatial Analytics

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Gustavo Machado
Assistant Professor
Population Health and Pathobiology,
North Carolina State University

Using PoPS for modeling the spread of swine disease in North Carolina, incorporating inter-farm movement information

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Chris Mundt
Professor
Botany and Plant Biology,
Oregon State University

Studying long-distance pathogen dispersal and using PoPS to modeling spread of diverse systems, including wheat stripe rust and foot and mouth disease

Past Members

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Wanwan Liang
Postdoctoral Scholar
Center for Geospatial Analytics,
North Carolina State University

Examines efficacy of spatial sampling designs to delimit pest or pathogen population boundaries and management strategies to account for pests’ biological traits