Bryan Carlson

Ecoinformaticist

USDA-ARS Northwest Agroecosystem Research Unit
Pullman, WA

E-mail: bryan.carlson@usda.gov

Background 

Bryan Carlson received a B.S. degree in biology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks where he discovered the joy of knowledge generation by investigating a tiny moth and their host trees. He continued learning the physiology of plant-insect interactions while getting a M.S. degree in Botany from Washington State University. This knowledge of biophysics and computer coding got him a job working with data-hungry process-based cropping models for Washington State University. That work required him to deal with data problems which he now tackles daily in his current position.

Skills and Expertise

Data engineering, decision support services, application development, cloud architecture

Role in the CAF-LTAR

I help the unit with data from its generation, storage, dissemination, and utilization in decision support tools.

Current Research Projects

  • Developing — and orchestrating the population of — an inventory of data collected within a national agroecosystem research network
  • Development of software infrastructure for utilizing cloud computing to run process-based erosion models on a fine (30 m2) scale over a large cropping region
  • Creation of a graph database to gain insights into social collaboration within a large research network
  • Development of a simple data catalog system that integrates with best practices for academic research

Selected Products