|
|
|
My research and teaching program focuses on the use of information technologies, population ecology,
systems science, and artificial intelligence (AI) to advance understanding and improve management of
At Virginia Tech, I have helped to coordinate research and other programs related to information technologies in agriculture and natural resources, first as chair of the Computer-Aided Decision Making Action Committee—a group promoting activities and opportunities relating to CADM research in the college—and subsequently as director of the AgNIS (now called "AHNR-IT") program, which I envisioned, helped form, and headed for its first biennium. My research and teaching program is systems-oriented. The problems we address tend to be multidisciplinary and complex—problems not suited to solution by classical experimentation and analysis. Rather, their solution requires a more holistic approach, focussing on an understanding of agricultural ecosystems and how they function within the economic farming enterprise. A large part of my research and what I teach concerns the development of methods to model and analyze complex biological systems, and to simulate the decision making process of land managers and policy makers who must manage those systems as economic resources. I am also actively engaged in the use of information technology to support research and teaching. My lab has developed several IT tools to help teachers and researchers take advantage of the capabilities of the Internet, and we have developed middleware that serves as a basis for dynamic, database-driven websites. The areas of emphasis within my project, consequently, are information technology, ecology, population modeling, systems analysis, and knowledge-base systems. My research includes the explanation of insect population dynamics through behavioral simulation, developing pest management programs that minimize use of insecticides, development of farming systems to promote low-input sustainable agriculture, and watershed-level land use planning. Significance of Work
The applied nature of much of my work makes it easy to see its potential impact. The NutMan
nutrient management decision support system, for example, has been used since 1994 in Virginia to
help develop nutrient management plans on literally hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland. Likewise,
the boll weevil simulation model has been integrated into a suppression program in the high plains of
Texas that has helped improve the efficiency and profitability of cotton farmers over millions of
acres of dryland cotton.
Perhaps even more powerful is the use
of traditional simulation models in combination with artificial intelligence techniques.
The CROPS system, for
example, has the potential to greatly improve the process by which government agencies work with
farmers to reduce environmental pollution, conceivably saving millions of dollars in Virginia
due to reduced pollution and improved economic health for farmers.
The web utilities my group has developed and the java servlet middleware we've developed have also had a great impact. The WhizQuiz utility, for instance, that lets authors use a set of HTML-like tags to create interactive quizzes and tests, has been used throughout Virginia Tech and has been licensed to several other institutions. Tech's Educational Technologies program offers training and runs a WhizQuiz server, and several other servers are also available across the campus and now around the country. The java middleware can be seen in action in the Entomology Review site and the Southern Pine Beetle Internet Control Center. Initiatives
At Texas A&M University in 1986, Drs. Ray Frisbee, Robert Coulson and I envisioned and created the Knowledge Engineering Lab within the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The KEL was created to apply methods of artificial intelligence to problems in agricultural and natural resource management, and today it continues to explore complex issues of applying qualitative and qualitative information to the study of environmental science and management. In the 1990's, I have devoted considerable time to the creation of interdisciplinary programs at Virginia Tech in the areas of information technology (IT) and watershed management. 
In 1994, I and professors in Biological Systems Engineering and Agricultural & Applied Economics an interdisciplinary group of faculty at Virginia Tech created the "SWAMP" (Systems for Watershed Assessment, Management & Policy). Now including members from seven academic departments, we have created an externally funded fellowship program and a monthly seminar series. We created an interdisciplinary graduate course in Watershed Assessment Management & Policy, and we have initiated several grant-funded interdisciplinary research programs.
In 1995, I proposed and helped create an integrated information systems program for the Virginia
Agricultural Experiment Station, Virginia Cooperative Extension, and the College of Agriculture &
Natural Resources. In 1996, "AgNIS" was launched (now called AHNR-IT), with an annual budget of approximately $2 million.
I headed the program for its first biennium, formalizing its structure and undertaking three major
initiatives:
|
 |
||
|
||
 |
http://www.isis.vt.edu/~nstone/progsum.html
Last updated 23 February 2001 For more information, conact Nick.Stone@vt.edu |
 |
