Browsing by Author "Dwyer, Owen J."
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Item Comparison of Sky View Factor Estimates using Digital Surface Models(2022-02) Adhikari, Bikalpa; Wilson, Jeffrey S.; Dwyer, Owen J.; Banerjee, Aniruddha; Thapa, BhuwanBetter comprehension of the Urban Heat Island study requires information on the natural as well as built characteristics of the environment at high spatial resolution. Sky View Factor (SVF) has been distinguished as a significant parameter for Local Climate Zone (LCZ) classification based on environmental characteristics that influence the urban climate at finer spatial scales. The purpose of this thesis was to evaluate currently available data sources and methods for deriving continuous SVF estimates. The specific objectives were to summarize the characteristics of currently available digital surface models (DSMs) of the study region and to compare the results of using these models to estimate SVF with three different raster-based algorithms: Horizon Search Algorithm in R-programming (Doninck, 2018), Relief Visualization Toolbox (RVT) (Žiga et al., 2016), and the Urban Multi-scale Environmental Predictor (UMEP) plugin in QGIS (Lindberg, et al., 2018).Item Exploring spatial allocation techniques for the placement of food pantries: Madison County, Indiana(2017-02-01) Ashraf, Maria; Banerjee, Aniruddha; Wilson, Jeffery S.; Dwyer, Owen J.; Lulla, VijayThe thesis highlights the effectiveness of using location allocation model to find the optimum location of food pantries such that it serves maximum food insecure households. Since most households do not have personal means of transportation, the model makes sure that the food pantries are accessible at a walkable distance from the households. To reduce the shortage of food that the food pantries often face, the pantries are located near the food rescue sites like grocery stores, restaurants and institutional canteens. In this way, extra edible food with myriad choices can be diverted to the food insecure population at a walkable distance . Reducing food loss and food insecurity helps us move towards a better , more sustainable future.Item Geography: its place in higher education enrollment(2011-03-16) McDonald, Joseph P.; Banerjee, Aniruddha; Dwyer, Owen J.; Ward, Richard E.The fundamental principles colleges and universities use to recruit students have remained largely unchanged for decades. Traditionally, admissions professionals visit high schools and attend college fairs, while colleges and universities hold preview days and publish viewbooks all in the interest of attracting a high-quality and diverse student population. The recruiting process has been greatly improved through the application of modern technology. The analytic abilities of technologies such as geographic information systems (GISystems), which allow for the visualization and analysis of spatial data, presents previously underutilized strategies for higher education recruiting methods. In addition, the incorporation of a Hierarchical Bayesian model will effectively model influential enrollment factors, which successful students possess. Hierarchical Bayesian models use the prior distribution, and likelihood of an events occurrence to create the posterior distribution or Bayesian inference. The intelligence created by combining traditional recruiting techniques with GISystems and Hierarchical Bayesian modeling will allow admissions professionals to improve the success rate of enrollment efforts and expenditures. This paper will explore the application of Hierarchical Bayesian models and GISystems within higher education recruiting.Item IDENTIFYING VARIATIONS OF SOCIO-SPATIAL VULNERABILITY TO HEAT-RELATED MORTALITY DURING THE 1995 EXTREME HEAT EVENT IN CHICAGO, IL, USA(2011-08-23) Stanforth, Austin Curran; Johnson, Daniel P. (Daniel Patrick), 1971-; Wilson, Jeffrey S. (Jeffrey Scott), 1967-; Dwyer, Owen J.Extreme Heat Events are the leading cause of weather-related mortalities in the continental United States. Recent publications have suggested that vulnerability to extreme heat is impacted by variations in environmental and socioeconomic conditions, even across small spatial units. This study evaluated the usefulness of socioeconomic variables and satellite-derived environmental measurements as predictors of heat-related vulnerability during the July 14-17, 1995 heat wave in Chicago, IL. Geospatial analysis and statistical processes were implemented to identify and rank characteristics of vulnerable populations. Results suggest population density, educational attainment, age, and financial indicators are among the best predictors of heat vulnerability. Proximity to and intensity of Urban Heat Islands also appears to influence neighborhood vulnerability levels. Identification and mapping of vulnerability variables can distinguish locations of increased vulnerability during extreme weather conditions. These vulnerability maps could be utilized by city officials to plan and implement aid programs to specific high risk neighborhoods before an extreme heat event, and resulting health implications, occur. Continued study and implementation of these variables could also assist in identifying vulnerable populations in other urban environments, improve utilization of location-specific heat warning systems and impact new building policies to decrease vulnerability variables across the country.Item Parallel worlds: attribute-defined regions in global human geography(2009-11-13T14:02:28Z) Ford, Of The; Dwyer, Owen J.; Wilson, Jeffrey S.; Pegg, Scott M.Global human regionalization often depends heavily on conventions, especially the country model. Standardized “countries” are used as default regions, and influence other regionalizations as well. Proposed here is the preference for multiple independent systems of regions based on empirical criteria specific to each field of inquiry. These regions, defined by attributes of the landscape, would subsume formal and functional regions alike, as well as the very similar “trait geographies” and “process geographies”. Two specific inquiries are studied, politics and language; in both cases, existing data tend towards the conventional. A primary empirical regionalization for politics can be based on effective government control. A primary empirical regionalization for language can be based on mutual intelligibility of vernacular dialects. Examined in political geography are concepts of juridical and empirical statehood and the question of state territoriality; examined in linguistic geography are the question of language versus dialect and the standard reference ‘Ethnologue’.Item Predictors of Primary Care Physicians Practicing in Medically Underserved and Rural Areas of Indiana(2009-10-01T16:53:26Z) Bellinger, Nathan; Zollinger, Terrell W.; Dwyer, Owen J.; Brokaw, James J.; Wilson, Jeffrey S. (Jeffrey Scott), 1967-Purpose: This study examines whether Indiana physicians’ choices to practice in medically underserved and rural areas of Indiana are associated with select physician characteristics. Methods: Physician data were gathered from the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile. Analysis was limited to primary care physicians currently practicing, whose birth city and/or state were known (if American born) and whose current practice location could be matched to an Indiana ZIP Code. The underserved and rural areas and physician data were mapped using ArcGIS. Chi square and logistic regression analyses were performed to identify significant associations between the physician characteristics and choice of practice location. Results: In instances where a physician was born in a county that fell below its state’s median income level in the decade of birth, there is a significant likelihood of future choice to practice in underserved and rural areas. Attending a medical school in the Midwest and region of birth (subdivided by state) were proven to have no predictive value. Conclusions: This result, when compared with other studies that have found physician hometown to be a predictive factor, seems to confirm and strengthen the argument that factors in a physician’s past, including social and economic setting of his or her upbringing, influence choice to practice in underserved and/or rural areas.Item Public perception and response to extreme heat events(2014-01-03) Porter, Raymond E.; Johnson, Daniel P. (Daniel Patrick), 1971-; Wilson, Jeffrey S. (Jeffrey Scott), 1967-; Dwyer, Owen J.In the United States extreme heat events have grown in size and stature over the past 20 years. Urban Heat Islands exacerbate these extreme heat events leaving a sizable portion of people at risk for heat related fatalities. The evidence of this is seen in the Chicago heat wave of 1995 which killed 500 people over the course of a week and the European heat wave of 2003 which killed 7,000 people in the course of a month. The main guiding questions then become how government and the media can most effectively warn people about the occurrence of extreme heat events? Should extreme heat warnings be issued by T.V., newspaper or by radio? Even if warnings are issued will the population at large still change their behavior? Another possible question is whether people most vulnerable to extreme heat will change their behavior? A survey in 2010 by NASA will be the main basis for this analysis. This survey set out to see how well people in Phoenix, Philadelphia, and Dayton responded to extreme heat alerts by changing their behavior.Item Statistical downscaling of MODIS thermal imagery to Landsat 5tm + resolutions(2014-02-03) Webber, J. Jeremy III; Johnson, Daniel P. (Daniel Patrick), 1971-; Wilson, Jeffrey S. (Jeffrey Scott), 1967-; Dwyer, Owen J.