Pamela Swint
Natural Resource/GIS Technician
Conservation Management Institute
1900 Kraft Drive, Suite 250
Blacksburg, VA 24061
pswint@vt.edu
(540) 382-2650

Education
Master of Science in Biology
December 2003; Baylor University, Waco, TX
Examined the effect of fire on plant communities in Big Bend National Park, Texas using field data, GIS, and remotely sensed digital images. The short-term impact of fire on plants was analyzed using a prescribed fire, while Landsat TM images spanning 20 years were used to determine the long-term response of vegetation to fire within Big Bend NP. Conducted vegetation surveys, led a team during a prescribed fire, and independently analyzed multivariate data.

Bachelor of Science in Biology, Minor in Environmental Studies
May 2001; State University of New York at Geneseo, Geneseo, NY
Emphasis in field ecology and GIS analysis.

Work Experience
Natural Resource/GIS Technician (September 2004- Present)
Conservation Management Institute, Blacksburg, VA
Utilized GIS for aerial photograph interpretation of vegetation communities and geospatial data management, performed satellite imagery pre-processing and analysis, created custom tools for ArcGIS, conducted GPS and vegetation surveys, and used object-oriented software for feature extractions.

Ecological/GIS Consultant (February 2004- August 2004)
Baylor University, Waco, TX and Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge, Lago Vista, TX
Developed a fuel hazard map for wildfire management within the habitat of the endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler. Field data on plant demographics and fuel loadings were interpolated to predict wildfire hazard using ArcView GIS and ERDAS Imagine. Worked independently in navigating through adverse field conditions to measure plant community compositions and potential fuel loadings.

NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (May 2000-August 2000)
Baylor University, Waco, TX
Conducted independent field research on the reproductive timing of the Hispid cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus) to precipitation patterns in central Texas. Statistical analysis performed independently using SPSS and JMP.

Undergraduate Researcher (September 2000-May 2001)
Biology Department, SUNY Geneseo, Geneseo, NY
Conducted an independent field research project using GIS to compile a map of bird territories within an experimental forest, prepared literature review.

Undergraduate Internship
Braddock Bay Raptor Research Center, Rochester, NY (March 2001-May 2001)
Performed owl and songbird surveys for the spring 2001 migratory season.

Undergraduate Internship
Bronx Zoo; Bronx, NY (Summer 1999)
Performed zoo-keepers duties for a diverse array of species. Conducted behavioral observations and literature review on Maxwell’s Duikers (Cephalophus maxwelli) reproductive behavior.

Teaching Experience
Graduate Teaching Assistant (September 2001 – December 2003)
Biology Department, Baylor University, Waco, Texas
Laboratory instructor for remote sensing (1 semester), ecology (2 semesters) and general biology (1 semester). Responsibilities included weekly lectures on concepts and methodology, computer demonstrations and leading outdoor ecological experiments.

Laboratory Assistant/Instructor (September 2000-May 2001)
Biology Department; SUNY Geneseo, Geneseo, NY
Prepared and graded weekly in-lab assignments, quizzes, and papers.

Other Experience
Red-card certification for prescribed fires for the 2003 fire season
GPS field mapping, Leaf Area Index measurements with Li-Cor 2000.
Nature Conservancy volunteer in Piping plover conservation program (July 1997)

Relevant Courses

Biometrics Biological Data Analysis
Conservation Biology Biological Modeling
Remote Sensing Biogeography
Landscape Ecology Population Biology
Advanced GIS Community Ecology
Environmental Geology Ecological Field Methods

Computer Skills
OS: Windows, UNIX, Macintosh, VAX
Statistical software: SAS, SPSS, JMP, BMP
GIS: ArcGIS 8.3, 9x, ArcInfo Workstation, Pathfinder, GRASS GIS
GPS: Trimble, Garmin Units, Pathfinder software
Remote Sensing: ERDAS Imagine, ER Mapper
MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, MS Access

Grants and Awards
Jack G. and Norma Jean Folmar Research Award, Baylor University (2002)
Robert Gardner Research Award, Baylor University (2002, 2003)
Leadership in Biology Award, SUNY Geneseo (2001)
Biological Honor Society, SUNY Geneseo (2000)
NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (2000)

Presentations and Research Collaborations
“The Effect of Fire in a Northern Chihuahuan Mixed Shrub Community” Pamela Swint* Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Savannah, Georgia (2003)

“Past and Future Trends for Fire Impacts on Chihuahuan Desert Lowland Communities” Joseph D. White*, Pamela Swint, Kevin J. Gutzwiller, Wylie E. Barrow, and Lori R. Johnson. 6th Symposium on the Natural Resources of the Chihuahuan Desert. Alpine, Texas (2004)

"Comparison of Automated and non-Automated Feature Extraction Methods of Fort Pickett Maneuver Training Center, Virginia" Pamela Swint*, Jessica Dorr, Kristen LaBrie. ITAM Workshop, IN (2005) (poster presentation)

*-presenter