Andrew Curtis

PERSONAL INFORMATION
Assistant Professor
Department of Geography and Anthropology
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge LA 70803
Phone: 225-578-6198 ~ Fax: 225-578-4420
E-mail: acurti1@lsu.edu

Director of the World Health Organization's Collaborating Center for Remote Sensing and GIS for Public Health

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

Ph.D., State University of New York at Buffalo, 1995.


RESEARCH INTERESTS

Spatial Analysis and GIS in Medical Geography
Rabies Surveillance
Spatial Distribution of Anthrax
Ecology of Chagas Disease in Mexico
Reducing Infant Mortality
GIS and Epidemics in History
GIS as Bioterrorism Response

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Articles in Refereed Journals:

Kent, J., M. Leitner, and A. Curtis (forthcoming). "Evaluating the Usefulness of Functional Distance Measures when Calibrating Journey-to-Crime Distance Decay Algorithms." Computers, Environment, and Urban Systems.

Leitner, M., and A. Curtis (forthcoming)."Cartographic Guidelines for Geographically Masking the Location of Confidential Point Data." Cartographic Perspectives.

DeLyser, D., R. Sheehan, and A. Curtis (forthcoming). "eBay and Research in Historical Geography: Some Thoughts and Experiences." Journal of Historical Geography.

Curtis, A. 1999. "Using a Spatial Filter and a Geographic Information System to Improve Rabies Surveillance Data." Journal of Emerging Infectious Disease 5(5):603-6.

Fotheringham, A.S., and A. Curtis. 1999. "Regularities in Spatial Information Processing: Implications for Modeling Destination Choice." The Professional Geographer 51(2):227-39.

Curtis, A. 1998. "Comparisons in the Spatial Knowledge Surfaces of Subjects from Canada and the United States." Canadian Geographer 42:53-61. For a commentary on this article, see "Notes from Ptolemy," AAG Newsletter 33(10) from October 1998.

Curtis, A., and A.D. MacPherson. 1996. "The Zone Definition Problem in Survey Research: An Empirical Example from New York State." The Professional Geographer 48:310-20.

Curtis, A., and A.S. Fotheringham. 1995. "Large-Scale Information Surfaces: An Analysis of City-Name Recalls in the United States." Geoforum 26(1): 75-87.

Fotheringham, A.S., P.J. Densham, and A. Curtis. 1995. "The Zone Definition Problem and Location-Allocation Modeling." Geographical Analysis 27:60-77.

Chapters in Refereed, Edited Volumes:

Curtis A., S. Heath, and M. Hugh-Jones (forthcoming). “GIS Investigations of Epizootics: The Limitations of Surveillance Data,” in Majumdar, S.K, J. Huffman, F. Brenner, and I.A. Panah, eds., Wildlife Diseases. Pennsylvania Academy of Science.

Leitner, M., and A. Curtis. 2002. "Modeling Infant Mortality Risk Factors in Baton Rouge," in Wohlschlägl, H., M. Leitner, and N. Weixlbaumer, eds., Geographischer Jahresbericht aus Österreich 59, pp. 45-57. Department of Geography and Regional Research, University of Vienna.

Curtis, A., M. Leitner, and C. Hanlon. 2002. "Using Hierarchical Nearest Neighbor Analysis and Animation to Investigate the Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Raccoon Rabies in West Virginia," in Khan, O. A. and R. Skinner, eds., Geographic Information Systems & Health Applications, pp. 155-71. Idea Group Publishing.

Curtis, A. 2001. "Identifying Spatial Holes in a Rabies Surveillance Surface: Comparing Results from Cartographic Visualization to Spatial Filter Analysis," in A. Flahault, L. Toubiana, and A.J. Valleron, eds., Geography and Medicine, pp. 40-8. Editions scientifiques et medicales, Elsevier SAS.

SUPPORTED RESEARCH

2004. A Cultural and Geographic Epidemiological Study of Chagas Disease in the Los Tuxtla region of Vera Cruz, Mexico. Louisiana State University Faculty Research Grant (FRG) Program, $9,999.

2004. PI: "Ecological and Socio-Economic Factors of Antrhax Foci Activity and Improvement of its Diagnosis and Prophylaxis in Kazakhstan." U.S. Civilian Research and Development Foundation, $82,800.

2004. PI: "Wildlife & Fisheries Identification of Habitat Sites for the Ornate Box Turtle, Caracara, & Burrowing Owl Using GIS Capabilities." Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, $8,906.

2003. PI: "An Analysis of the Mobility of At-Risk Mothers in Baton Rouge." Regents Faculty Research Award, $5,594.

2002. PI: Student Technology Fee Discipline Specific Project for Mapping Sciences Enhancement, $47,342.

2002. Co-PI: Active Living Policy and Environmental Studies (ALPES) of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, "Environmental Characteristics of Recreational Areas," $100,000.

2000- present. PI" Evaluation sub-contract to the Department of Geography and Anthropology for "Evaluation of: Eliminating Disparities in Perinatal Health" as part of a Healthy Start in Baton Rouge grant, $125,312.

2000. Co-PI: Family Road of Baton Rouge proposal "Eliminating Disparities in Perinatal Health" to HRSA/Maternal and Child Healthy Bureau, $2,800,000.

2000. PI: "Using Geographic Information System and Spatial Analysis to Reduce Racial Disparities in Infant Mortality," DEFE Program of the Louisiana Board of Regents. $9,911.40.

1999. "Using a Spatial Filter and a GIS to Identify Statistically Significant Holes in a Point Data Surface," NSF EPSCoR, $24,863. 

HONORS AND ACTIVITIES

2004 - present. Provide GIS expertise for the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Institute, Woman's Hospital, and the YWCA on spatial inequalities in breast cancer screening.

2004 - present. Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Board Panel, Baton Rouge. This panel of mainly medical doctors and myself will consider in detail the situation surrounding every infant that dies in East Baton Rouge Parish.

2003 - present. Provide GIS expertise to Pan American Health Organization on Foot and Mouth Disease in Central and South America.

2002. Provide spatial analysis and GIS expertise for March of Dimes / YWCA in Baton Rouge.

2000 - present. GIS evaluator for Healthy Start of Baton Rouge.

1998-99. GIS advisor to the Kentucky Commissioner's Conference on Public Health Information.

COURSES TAUGHT

Medical Geography
Computer Cartography
Introduction to GIS
Methods of Spatial Analysis
Quantitative Methods for Geographical Analysis

GIS and Disaster / Bioterrorism Courses:

National Center for Biomedical Research and Training (NCBRT) Academy of Counter-Terrorist Education. Prevention and Response to Agricultural Terrorism Course. Currently developing two modules involving GIS / GPS use in the first-response situation of a terrorist attack. These modules are part of a fly-away three-day NCBRT course available to all U.S. communities designed to identify vulnerability and guide response / recovery in the face of an attack.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) online course: Hazard Mapping and Modeling. Currently developing introduction to GIS modules for this course. The purpose of the course is to expose students to GIS in the disaster sciences who are at institutions that do not currently offer classes in GIS.