JACIE 2020 Session 2 Presenter Biographies

David Davis has worked over 29 years for the USDA, FPAC BC, GEO in Salt Lake City, UT and is a representative on several FGDC subcommittees.  David has overseen and coordinated on imagery, GPS, and ground control projects at the local, state, and national levels.  He has a B.A. and M.A. degree in Geography from the University of Utah.  He also has participated for many years in K-16 mentoring, curriculum development, and activities as well as serving as a past board member of the Utah Geographic Information Council. 

Libby Linfield.  I work with Airbus Defence and Space as a graduate Geo-scientist. I graduated from the University College London in 2019 with a Masters degree in Natural Sciences specializing in Astrophysics with Geophysics. My main skills and interests lie within the fields of data science, machine learning, optical image processing and data quality and GIS. Current projects revolve around the investigation of geometric and radiometric image data quality for optical EO data products.

David Conran. I am currently a Ph.D. student at the Rochester Institute of Technology studying Imaging Sciences with a focus in remote sensing and calibration. I have a B.S. in Astrophysics & Astronomy with an emphasize in instrumentation building from the Pennsylvania State University. My research interests include PSF estimation and spatial resolvability, radiometric calibration, statistics, uncertainty, and Fourier analysis. The recent projects I contributed to align with calibrating the world with the FLARE network system. FLARE is a mirror-based calibration suite for airborne platforms interested in radiometric and spatial characterizations satisfying a wide range of GSD’s. My contributions to the FLARE network include developing the 2D PSF estimation toolkit and helping create the radiometric master equation with an associated Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis for airborne calibration.

Ms. Mary Pagnutti is President and Co-founder of Innovative Imaging and Research, a company focused on imaging technologies and image quality. Over its 13-year history, under Ms. Pagnutti’s leadership, Innovative Imaging and Research has performed numerous laboratory-based radiometric camera calibrations, developed custom algorithms to reduce noise and improve image quality, developed high speed, scientific extreme high dynamic range video systems, and night imaging NIST-traceable calibration sources, generated new UAV-based imaging solutions, and developed and implemented automated methods to validate image quality without using engineered targets. Prior to founding Innovative Imaging and Research, Ms. Pagnutti supported NASA Earth Science programs at Stennis where she led the contractor support team and helped to build a nationally recognized in-flight calibration/validation capability. Ms. Pagnutti holds a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and has over 30 years of engineering experience ranging from large aerospace defense projects to civil remote sensing applications.

Dr. Straub is a social scientist in the National Land Imaging Program and the Social and Economic Analysis Branch at the United States Geological Survey.  Crista earned a PhD in interdisciplinary human dimensions of natural resources from the University of Maine’s Ecology & Environmental Science Program in 2012.  Her current research focuses on the human dimensions of Earth observations – investigating the users, uses, and value of Earth observation data.  This research includes assisting federal agencies with the economic valuation of nonmarketed resources including satellite imagery.  Her research methods comprise primary mixed methods data collection using such tools as focus groups, socioeconomic surveys, in-depth interviews, participant observation, case studies, and social network analysis.  Crista recently started a new Earth observation user study with SilvaCarbon – investigating gender barriers with forest carbon monitoring.  She is also a member of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Working Group – Capacity Development.  Crista’s research interests also include environmental behaviors, attitudes, social capital, and community resilience across landscapes using social psychology, communication, and health theories.