Title: Regional GIS Program Manager
Institution: National Park Service
Address: URI Dept. Natural Resources Science, 1 Greenhouse Rd, Kingston, Rhode Island 02881
Email: dennis_skidds@nps.gov
Phone: (401) 374-4994
Research Interests: data management, natural and cultural resource management, remote sensing, coastal ecology, wetland ecology
Biographical Sketch:
I began my career in resource management as a graduate student in the Wetland Ecology Lab at the University of RI, where I received an MS in Environmental Sciences while studying vernal pool ecology and amphibian breeding habitat conservation. After receiving my degree, I continued to study and write about vernal pools and other natural and cultural resource issues as a GIS Research Associate with the URI Environmental Data Center. I joined the National Park Service (NPS) in 2007 as a biologist and data manager for the Northeast Coastal and Barrier Inventory and Monitoring Network. Over the next 16 years, I lead the Network’s coastal geomorphology monitoring and data management programs, developing a strong interest in using GIS and high-precision GPS/GNSS technology for resource management and regularly teaching a graduate course on the topic in the URI Natural Resources Science Department. I currently serve as the NPS Regional GIS Program Manager for the Northeast Region where I have the opportunity to collaborate on many projects in support of natural resource, cultural resource, and infrastructure management at the local, state, and national scales.
Education:
M.S. in Environmental Sciences from the University of Rhode Island (Kingston, RI), granted 2003
M.Ed. in Counseling and Human Development from St. Lawrence University (Canton, NY), granted 1997
B.A. in Psychology and Philosophy from Brown University (Providence, RI), granted 1995
Professional Certifications:
GIS Professional (GISP), 2009-present