Bio

Michael E. Hodgson received the B.A. from the University of Tennessee in 1980, the M.S. from the University of South Carolina (with coursework at the University of Georgia) in 1984, and the Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina in 1987. Prior to his tenure at the University of South Carolina he was Team Leader at the Oak Ridge National Laboratories, Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado, and Geographer at Henningson, Durham, and Richardson. In addition to his research and teaching in the USA he has served as Visiting Professor and taught GIScience courses at the University of Salzburg (Austria) and the University of Padova (Italy).

Research 

My research interests are broadly in geographical information science with particular interest in the use of remote sensing approaches (e.g. LiDAR) for environmental problems. My funded research has focused on the development of innovative approaches and techniques for rapidly or more accurately extracting information from imagery and geospatial data. Recent research has utilized survey methods, cognitive studies, and GIS-based modeling for probing theoretical questions and pragmatic solutions to geographic problems. For instance, how do the state and counties emergency operations centers utilize geospatial approaches in disaster response and recovery (survey methods)? How does a trained image interpretation expert recognize objects and patterns on aerial imagery (cognitive studies)? And how can we model this cognitive image interpretation process and implement in an automated solution? What is the appropriate design and implementation for a 4-dimensional (space and time) satellite-sensor image collection model (GISci-modeling)? How can we reliably and rapidly, with estimates of confidence and uncertainty, map information from airborne LiDAR data sources?

My current research interests utilize GIS-based modeling approaches to environmental problems and the use of sUAS imagery and LiDAR data for mapping and monitoring the landscape.          

Teaching 

• GEOG 285: Introduction to Drones for Airborne Spatial Data
• GEOG 363: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
• GEOG 552: LiDARgrammetric And Photogrammetric Digital Surface Mapping
• GEOG 564: GIS Based Modeling
• GEOG 565: GIS Databases and Their Use
• GEOG 763: Seminar in GIS
• GEOG 863: Advanced Seminar in GIS
   

Recent Publications 

Morgan, G.R., D.R. Morgan, C. Wang, M.E. Hodgson, and S.R. Schill, 2023. The Dynamic Nature of Wrack: An Investigation Into Wrack Movement and Impacts on Coastal Marshes Using sUAS, Drones, 7(8): 535. https://doi.org/10.3390/drones7080535 

Sella-Villa, D. and Hodgson, M.E., 2023. Active Sensors and the Privacy Problems They Pose, University of Missouri – Kansas City Law Review, https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4346211 

Piovan, S.E., Hodgson, M.E., Mozzi, P., Porter, D., and Hall, B., 2023. LiDAR-Change Based Mapping of Sediment Movement from an Extreme Rainfall Event, GIScience and Remote Sensing, 60 (1), https://doi.org/10.1080/15481603.2023.2227394 

English, C., Kitzhaber, Z., Sanim, K.R.I., Vitzilaios, N., Hodgson, M.E., Richardson, T., Myrick, M., 2023. Filter Fluorometer Calibration Without the Fluorometer, Applied Spectroscopy, https://doi.org/10.1177/00037028231181593 

Sanim, K.R.I., English, C., Kitzhaber, Z., Kalaitzakis, M., Vitzilaios, N.I., Myrick, M.L., Hodgson, M.E., Richardson, T.L., 2023. Autonomous UAS-based Water Fluorescence Mapping and Targeted Sampling, Journal of Intelligent & Robotic Systems, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10846-023-01880-9 

English, C.; Kitzhaber, Z.; Sanim, K.R.I.; Kalaitzakis, M.; Kosaraju, B.; Pinckney, J.L.; Hodgson, M.E.; Vitzilaios, N.I.; Richardson, T.L.; Myrick, M.L, 2022. Chlorophyll Fluorometer for Intelligent Water Sampling by a Small Uncrewed Aircraft System (sUAS), Applied Spectroscopy, https://doi.org/10.1177/00037028221126748 

Kitzhaber, Z.; English, C.; Sanim, K.R.I.; Kalaitzakis, M.; Kosaraju, B.; Hodgson, M.E.; Vitzilaios, N.I.; Richardson, T.L.; Myrick, M.L, 2022. Fluorometer Control and Readout with an Arduino Nano 33 BLE Sense, Applied Spectroscopy, https://doi.org/10.1177/00037028221128800

Hodgson, M.E.; Vitzilaios, N.I.; Myrick, M.L.; Richardson, T.L.; Duggan, M.; Sanim, K.R.I.; Kalaitzakis, M.; Kosaraju, B.; English, C.; Kitzhaber, Z. 2022. Mission Planning for Low Altitude Aerial Drones during Water Sampling, Drones, 6: 209, https://doi.org/10.3390/drones6080209 

Peroni, F., S.E. Pappalardo, F. Facchinelli, E. Crescini, M. Munafo, M.E. Hodgson, M.D. Marchi, 2022. How to Map Soil Sealing, Land Take and Impervious Surfaces? A Systematic Review, Environmental Research Letters, 17, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac6887 

Ning, H., and Z. Li, C. Wang, M.E. Hodgson, X. Huang, X. Li., 2022. Converting Street View Images to Land Cover Maps for Surveying: A Case Study on Sidewalk Network Extraction for the Wheelchair Users, Computers, Environment, and Urban Systems, 95: 101808, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compenvurbsys.2022.101808 

Morgan, G., and M.E. Hodgson, C. Wang, S. Schill, 2022. Unmanned Aerial Remote Sensing of Coastal Vegetation: A Review, Annals of GIS, https://doi.org/10.1080/19475683.2022.2026476 

Hodgson, M.E. and D. Sella-Villa, 2021. State-level Statutes Governing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Use for Academic/Research in the USA, International Journal of Remote Sensing, 42(14): 5370-5399, https://dx.doi.org/ 10.1080/01431161.2021.1916121 

Hodgson, M.E. and S.E. Piovan, 2021. An Indoor Landscape for Instruction of 3-D Aerial Drone Imagery, Journal of Geography in Higher Education, https://doi.org/10.1080/03098265.2021.1900084 

Morgan, G. and M.E. Hodgson, 2021. A Post Classification Change Detection Model with Confidences in High Resolution Multi-Date sUAS Imagery in Coastal South Carolina, International Journal of Remote Sensing, 42(11): 4309-4336, https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01431161.2021.1890266 

Hodgson, M.E. and G. Morgan, 2021. Modeling Sensitivity of Topographic Change with sUAS Imagery, Geomorphology, 375(15), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2020.107563 

Hodgson, M.E., 2020. On the Accuracy of Low-Cost Dual-Frequency GNSS Network Receivers and Reference Data, GIScience & Remote Sensing, 57 (7): 907-923, https://doi.org/10.1080/15481603.2020.1822588 

Piovan, S.E., M. Filippini, M.E. Hodgson, 2020. Loss of Wetlands in the Southern Venetian Plain: a Geo-Historical Perspective, Bollettino dell'Associazione Italiana di Cartografia, 168: 29-48, https://hdl.handle.net/10077/30963 

Derakhshan, S., M.E. Hodgson, and S.L. Cutter, 2020. Vulnerability of Populations Exposed to Seismic Risk in the State of Oklahoma, Applied Geography, 124, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeog.2020.102295 

Ning, H., Z. Li, M.E. Hodgson, C. Wang, 2020. Prototyping a Social Media Flooding Photo Screening System Based on Deep Learning, International Journal of Geographic Information, 9(2): 104, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi9020104 

Merschdorf, H., M.E. Hodgson, T. Blaschke, 2020. Modeling Quality of Urban Life Using a Geospatial Approach, Urban Science, 4(1), 5, https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci4010005