Robert Pontius
Professor, Geography
Scholarly Interests
Geographic Information Science, Land Change Science, Simulation Modeling, Statistics
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Robert Gilmore Pontius Jr is a Professor in Clark University’s Graduate School of Geography. Dr. Pontius specializes in Geographic Information Science (GIS) with particular expertise in statistics, simulation modeling, and land change science. He derives quantitative methods that are in the GIS software TerrSet, which Clark Labs produces. Pontius works with Clark Labs to improve the methods for carbon offset projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. The United States National Science Foundation continues to fund his research through more than two decades via the Plum Island Ecosystems site of the Long-Term Ecological Research network. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration also funds his research in the Brazilian Cerrado Biome via the Land-Cover and Land-Use Change program. Pontius is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of MapBiomas and a Fulbright Scholar of Brazil. He has summarized his novel quantitative methods in his 2022 book entitled Metrics That Make a Difference: How to Analyze Change and Error. His publications have received more than 16 thousand citations. He joined Clark University as an Assistant Professor in 1998 and has been a full professor in Clark University s Graduate School of Geography since 2011. His two most popular courses are GIS & Land Change Models and GIS & Map Comparison. Students in his courses have made tutorial videos that international audiences have found helpful to understand his quantitative methods. Pontius earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics at University of Pittsburgh in 1984, a Masters of Applied Statistics at The Ohio State University in 1989, and a Doctorate in Environmental Science at the State University of New York’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry in 1994. Pontius has also had a career as a professional juggler, winning the People’s Choice Award at the International Jugglers Association, as his stage character Doctor Stardust.
Degrees
- Ph.D. in Environmental Science, State University of New York / College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 1994
- Masters in Applied Statistics, The Ohio State University, 1989
- B.S. in Mathematics and Economics, University of Pittsburgh, 1984
Affiliated Department(s)
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Scholarly and Creative Works
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Natural Hazards
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2024
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Vol. 120
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The Flow Matrix Offers a Straightforward Alternative to the Problematic Markov Matrix
Land
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2023
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Vol. 12
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Annals of the Association of American Geographers
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2023
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Vol. 113
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Issue #10
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Florianópolis, Brazil
April
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2023
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Vol. 20
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Metrics That Make a Difference: How to Analyze Change and Error
Advances in Geographic Information Science
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2022
Springer Nature Switzerland AG
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Area method compared with Transect method to measure shoreline movement
Geocarto International
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2021
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Validating models of one-way land change: an example case of forest insect disturbance
Landscape Ecology
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2021
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Vol. 36
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Issue #10
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Encoding a Categorical Variable for Input to TerrSet’s Multi-Layer Perceptron
ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information
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2021
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Vol. 10
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Issue #10
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Landscape Ecology
2021
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2021
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Geocarto International
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2021
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Computers, Environment and Urban Systems
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2021
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Vol. 87
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Awards & Grants
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Methods and software to understand and build the MapBiomas data
Instituto Humanize
Jun. 1, 2021 - Aug. 31, 2022
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National Science Foundation
Aug. 1, 2016 - Aug. 1, 2022
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Tracking the gross change of ponds in the Plum Island Ecosystems
Edna Bailey Sussman Fund
Jun. 1, 2023
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National Science Foundation
Oct. 1, 2022
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National Aeronautics and Atmospheric Administration
May. 15, 2023
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Spatial Analysis Methods to Assess Changing Wetlands in the Watersheds of Plum Island Ecosystems (PIE) in Northeastern Massachusetts
Edna Bailey Sussman Fund
Jun. 1, 2020
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Methods to study long-term response of estuarine ecosystems to climate change
Edna Bailey Sussman Fund
Jun. 1, 2020
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The TOC Curve for User-oriented Accuracy Assessment for the Flood Risk and Exposure Map
Edna Bailey Sussman Fund
Jun. 1, 2020
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Fulbright Scholar
Fulbright Brazil
2022
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Scientific Advisory Committee Member
MapBiomas
2020
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Keynote Speaker
International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing
2023
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