Research

Introduction

My research is currently focused on the following computational areas; Data Communication, Computer Networks, Computer Science Education, Computational Biology and Informatics, and Computers & Cultural Heritage.

Computer Science Education

I am in the early stages of writing computer based animations to help my students better understand computer science concepts that they often have difficulty understanding; the basic Switch and Router functions, as well as the execution of the TCP Slow Start and Congestion Avoidance algorithms for example. My animations will be written in HTML5 and JavaScript, and will be available from my personal Amazon Web Services website.

Data Communication

With regards to data communication, I am investigating and developing computer applications to improve TCP/IP data transmissions (unicast & multicast) over AX.25 amateur packet radio networks. I formed the Digital Communication Research Laboratory at the University of Louisiana at Monroe to facilitate this research.

Informatics

With respect to Informatics (e.g. bioinformatics, computational biology, computational ecology, etc.), I have been fortunate to work with many biology and pharmacy faculty at the University of Louisiana at Monroe on several projects that required the development of web-based computational tools.

I am actively developing web-based applications to help microbiologists categorize Mycobacteriophage, Streptomyces phages, Bacillus phage, and Arthrobacter phage using restriction endonucleases "cut" information. Specifically, I have written the code for the Phage Enzyme Tool (PET) using specifications provided by Dr. Ann Findley, Dr. Chris Gissendanner, Dr. Allison Wiedemeier, and Dr. Russ Minton. Dr. Lon Smith, a computer science faculty member at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, provides assistance.

  • Phage Enzyme Tools (PET v2.0) is available via the Amazon Web Services cloud.

  • Phage Enzyme Tools (PET v1.3)

Mr. Sailesh Wagle, one of my undergraduate students, worked with Dr. John Carr to create an web-based bioinformatics tool that will allow Dr. Carr and his students to enter the left and right eye scleral ossicles overlap patterns for various turtle species. His version of the tool rotates the cyclic overlap patterns and determine the percentage of match between the two patterns. I created a new version of the tool, named SOOPRM, versions 1.1 and 1.2, during the spring semester 2014. Mr Justin Brumley created a new version of the SOOPRM tool, version 1.3, during the spring semester 2015.

During the summer of 2011, using specifications provided by Dr. Russ Minton, I wrote the code for the web-based Species MisIdentification Tool (SMIT).

Precision Agriculture

I am member of the University of Louisiana at Monroe Precision Agriculture and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Research Application Center. My colleagues are flying the Center's UAS over agricultural fields in Northeast Louisiana and obtaining TIFF images that contain near infrared data. We currently mosaic (i.e. digitally weave) the TIFF images using a commercial GIS software package. One of my research projects involves investigating methods to apply parallel processing techniques to mosaicing functions provided by open source GIS software packages.

Current & Former Students

  • Mr. Kiran Dangol, ULM Emerging Scholar & UML Honors Student, 2014-2016

  • Mr. Justin Brumley, ULM Independent Study, 2015

  • Mr. Anjan Pandey, ULM Emerging Scholar, 2014-2015

  • Mr. Sanil Rijal, ULM Emerging Scholar, 2014

  • Mr. Sailesh Wagle, ULM Honors Student, 2013-2014

  • Ms. Anshika Malaviya, ULM Howard Hughes Scholar, 2012-2013

  • Mr. Shah Hassan, ULM Emerging Scholar, 2011-2012

  • Ms. Kayla Laney, ULM Howard Hughes Scholar, 2010-2011

  • Mr. Justice Law, ULM Emerging Scholar, 2011

  • Mr. Amir Shrestha, ULM Howard Hughes Scholar, 2008-2010

  • Ms. Tiffany Riley, ULM Howard Hughes Scholar, 2008-2009

  • Ms. Heather Nikki Simmons, ULM Howard Hughes Scholar, 2007-2008

  • Mr. Travis T. Williamson, ULM Emerging Scholar, 2007

  • Mr. Joshua M. Barham, ULM Emerging Scholar, 2006