Bio
Dr. White is a professor of Geospatial Science with expertise in spatial data science and GEOINT. He currently teaches GEOINT, advanced spatial analysis, geographic information systems, and capstone courses. His research interests bridge spatial analysis, AI applications, and remote modeling of environmental systems in the National Security and GEOINT spaces. He has worked in Haiti, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, and Greece, and Virginia, Nevada, Wisconsin, Arizona, California, Georgia, Colorado, and Utah, USA.
Education
CDS, Data Science Certificate, Harvard University (online) (2024)
FHEA, Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2022)
PhD, Geography, University of Nevada (2017)
MS, Geography, Virginia Tech (2012)
BS, Geographic Sciences (Physical Geography, Human Geography foci), Geology minor, James Madison University (2010)
Professional Experience
Assistant Professor, Geosciences, U.S. Air Force Academy (2021-present)
Chief Data Science and Technical Advisor, Maplewell Energy (2021-present)
Assistant Professor, Earth Science, Utah Valley University (2018-2021)
Visiting Assistant Professor, Geography, Univ. of Wisconsin, Parkside (2017-2028)
Honors & Awards
Outstanding Educator Award, DFEG, U.S. Air Force Academy (2025)
Gen. McDermott Immediate Impact Award, U.S. Air Force Academy (2024)
Civ Employee of Q4, DFEG, U.S. Air Force Academy (2024)
Civ Employee of the Year, DFEG, U.S. Air Force Academy (2023)
Research Team of the Quarter, Social Sciences, U.S. Air Force Academy (2023)
Publications
White JH, Henderson A, Larsen C, Kattman E, Peterson M, Walliser J (in press) Revisiting optimal geometry-based paths as navigated by a quadrupedal unmanned vehicle in the context of urban search and rescue. Journal of Emergency Management.
White JH, Walliser J, Henderson A, Marlowe J, Peterson M, Post AJ, Santana A (in press) Comparing thermal and visible imaging for autonomous indoor human detection in the context of urban search and rescue. Journal of Emergency Management.
Frank T, White JH, Aldred J, Catchpole M (pre-grant publication) Method to determine qualitative resource allocation for HVAC component sustainment. U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Serial Number 19/025,029.
White JH, Mulholland S, Bongioanni V (in review) Service history outweighs environmental exposure in predicting concrete runway degradation at a high-use US Air Force Base. Military Operations Research Journal.
White JH, Frank T, Aldred J (in review) Probabilistic forecasting of HVAC degradation risk across U.S. Air Force installations using discrete-time survival. Forecasting.
White JH, Kim K, Hoch E (in review) Forecasting daily avalanche occurrence in Colorado, USA using spatially implicit and explicit relationships. Scientific Reports.
White JH, Duggan P, Frank T, Mulholland S (in review) Environmental exposure and facade degradation: a machine learning assessment across East Asia. Building and Environment.
Mulholland S, Cabonce M, White JH (in review) Environmental drivers of building envelope degradation across roof and facade systems. Journal of Architectural Engineering.
White JH, Pickenpaugh M, Sedej O, Mulholland S (accepted) Effects of ammonia and environmental conditions on facility roofs. Architectural Engineering Institute/Infrastructure Resilience Division Conference.
Cabonce M, White JH, Mulholland SM (2026) Analyzing facade degradation across U.S. regions: a model-based assessment of geographic stressors. Journal of Architectural Engineering, 1(1):136-147.
White JH, Radil SM, Philipps CS, Irmischer IJ (2025) Using terrain-derived indices and environmental metrics to examine the spatial context of undocumented immigrant mortality along the USA-MEX border. Applied Geography, 180(103651):1-9.
White JH, Philipps CS, Ormsby ZE, Bloom P, Snook J, Dinndorf S (2025) Spatial analysis reveals urban avoidance by Golden Eagles in the west-central Great Basin, USA. Wild, 2(4):43.
Frank T, Aldred J, White JH, Catchpole M, Cabonce M, Boulware S (2024) Exploring environmental impacts on HVAC infrastructure degradation rate. Sustainability, 16(1723):1-19.
White JH, Philipps CS, Chandler LB (2023) Using airborne thermal imaging to understand American Coot movement patterns in a hot spring refugium during winter. Wetlands Ecology and Management, 31(1):875-886.
Frank TE, Aldred JR, Boulware SB, Cabonce MK, White JH (2023) Degradation of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning components across locations. International Journal of Structural and Construction Engineering, 17(11):437-442.
White JH, Ormsby ZE, Snook JS, Nussear K (2022) A spatial gradient analysis of urban Red-tailed Hawk nestling diet. Journal of Urban Ecology, 8(1):juac028.
White JH, Heppner J, Ouyang JQ (2022) Increased lead and glucocorticoid concentrations reduce reproductive success in House Sparrows along an urban gradient. Ecological Applications, 32(8):e2688.
White JH, Brown JL, Ormsby ZE (2020) A multiscale assessment of Red-tailed Hawk reproductive success relative to urban density and habitat type. Journal of Urban Ecology, 6(1).
White JH, Kennedy LM, Kimsey MB (2019) The Status of Diurnal Raptor Populations on La Gonâve, Haiti. Caribbean Journal of Ornithology, 32(1):81–85
White JH, Kemmelmeier M, Bassett SD, Smith JM (2018) Human perceptions of an avian predator in an urban ecosystem: close proximity to nests increases fondness among local residents. Urban Ecosystems, 21(2):271–280
White JH, Smith JM, Bassett SD, Brown JL, Ormsby ZE (2018) Raptor nesting locations along an urban density gradient in the Great Basin, USA. Urban Ecosystems, 21(1):51–60
White JH, Kennedy LM, & ME Christie (2017) Do perceptions of the Red-tailed Hawk indicate a human-wildlife conflict on the island of La Gonâve, Haiti? Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography, 38(1):258–268