Jack Higgins Email & Phone Number

Nearly a decade of higher education and professional experience, along with a lifetime spent living at the Jersey Shore, has culminated in a personal philosophy that I strive to exemplify each day: to best serve the communities I have always called home. This core belief is reinforced, yet also challenged, by the complex interconnections inherent to modern issues, which inevitably necessitate creative solutions. As the most recent Wetlands Specialist for Monmouth County Health Department, Mosquito Control Division (MCMCD) I am dedicated to developing creative solutions that promote both environmental sustainability and public health. In my view the most valuable lessons for the future are found in the past, which is why I have woven experiences in geographic information (GIS) and database management systems (DBMS) throughout my academic work and professional career. Past projects in which historical data were used to predict future trends include a West Nile virus (WNv) analysis that estimated the geographic extent of sylvatic WNv prevalence on a subcounty scale within Monmouth County, New Jersey. Similar projects include the development of flood models that measure tidal inundation of upper marshland located along coastal Monmouth County to predict the locations of mosquito-breeding habitat. I also incorporate GIS and DMBS within my daily workflow to briefly communicate meaningful data, and the data compiled within DBMS and communicated through GIS most notably affect MCMCD decision-making by modifying daily operations to adjust for the spatial and temporal range of threatened or endangered plant or animal species or their habitat.The influence of effective DBMS and GIS in decision-making processes is versatile and immeasurable, which is why it is in both my personal and professional interests to continue to communicate data that will benefit the communities in which I live and serve.