Sijan Sapkota

Statistician

Short Biography

Sijan Sapkota obtained his first degree in Mathematical Sciences from Tribhuvan University (Nepal) and an M.S. from the University of Texas at Dallas. In 1992, he received his Ph.D. in Statistics from the University of Louisiana (UL) at Lafayette. After graduate school, he held an adjunct faculty position and taught mathematics and statistics classes at UL-Lafayette. Since 1994, he has been employed as a Statistician at the National Wetlands Research Center, at first through the contract service then with the Federal employment. Dr. Sapkota’s interest and experience include statistical analysis of bio-geo databases instituted through various restoration projects and to evaluate and monitor coastal ecosystems including wetlands and their habitats through such analysis.

Publications:

• Steyer, G.D., Cretini, K.F., Piazza, S., Sharp, L.A., Snedden, G.A., Sapkota, S., 2010, Hurricane influences on vegetation community change in coastal Louisiana: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2010–1105, 21. p.

• Steyer, G.D., Sasser, C., Evers, E., Swenson, E., Suir, G., and Sapkota, S., 2008, Influence of the Houma Navigation Canal on salinity patterns and landscape configuration in coastal Louisiana: an interagency collaboration: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2008–1127, 191 p.

• Barras, J., Beville, S., Britsch, D., Hartley, S., Hawes, S., Johnston, J., Kemp, P., Kinler, Q., Martucci, A., Porthouse, J., Reed, D., Roy, K., Sapkota, S., and Suhayda, J., 2003, Historical and projected coastal Louisiana land changes: 1978-2050: USGS Open File Report 03-334, 39 p. (Revised January 2004).

• Ramsey, E., III, Echols, D., Nelson, G., and Sapkota, S., 2002. The National Vegetation Classification Standard applied to the remote sensing classification of two semiarid environments. Environmental Management, 29(5), 703-715.

• Ramsey, E., III, Sapkota, S., Barnes, F., and Nelson, G., 2002. Monitoring the recovery of Juncus roemerianus marsh burns with the normalized vegetation index and Landsat Thematic Mapper data. Wetlands Ecology and Management, 10(1), 85-96.

• Ramsey, E., III, Nelson, G., Sapkota, S., Seeger, E., and Martella, K., 2002. Mapping Chinese tallow with color-infrared photography. Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing, 68(3), 251-255.

• Ramsey, E., III, Nelson, G., Sapkota, S., 2002. Linking hydrology to wetland vegetation. In Applicatons in nearshore and inland waters. Backscatter, 13(1).

• Ramsey, E.W., III, Hodgson, M.E., Sapkota, S.K., and Nelson, G.A. 2001. Forest impact estimated with NOAA AVHRR and Landsat TM data related to an empirical hurricane wind-field distribution. Remote Sensing of Environment 77(3):279-292.

• Ramsey, E.W., III, Nelson, G.A., and Sapkota, S.K., 2001. Coastal change analysis program implemented in Louisiana. Journal of Coastal Research 17(1):55-71.

• Ramsey, E., III, Nelson, G., Yan, Y., and Sapkota, S., 2001. Linking hydrology to vegetation type and structure in a coastal Florida marsh. Remote Sensing & Resource Management in Nearshore and Inland Waters, Alliance for Marine Remote Sensing (AMRS), http://www.waterobserver.org/workshop-10-2001/abstract/application-04.asp.

• Ramsey, E., III, Nelson, G., and Sapkota, S., 2001. Mapping the Occurrence and Spread of Marsh Dieback by Characterizing the Marsh Spectral Response at the Plant and Canopy Level with Hyperspectral and Temporal Remote Sensing Data, The Washington College of Law at the American University Publishers, Washington, DC, http://www.earthpace.com/conference/confsumindex.htm.

• Ramsey, E.W., III, Nelson, G.A., Sapkota, S.K., Phillips, W., and Laine, S., 2001. Landcover classification of Padre Island National Seashore. U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division, Biological Science Report USGS/BRD/BSR--2001-0002. Available in CD-ROM.

• Ramsey, E.W., III, Nelson, G.A., Sapkota, S.K., and Strong, M, 2001. Landcover classification of Lake Meredith National Recreation Area. U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division, Biological Science Report USGS/BRD/BSR--2001-0003.
Available in CD-ROM.

• Ramsey, E.W., III, Nelson, G.A., and Sapkota, S.K., Laine, S.C., Verdi, J., and Krasznay, S., 1999. Using multiple-polarization L-band radar to monitor marsh burn recovery. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing 37(1):635-639.

• Ramsey, E.W., III, Chappell, D.K., Jacobs, D.M., Sapkota, S.K., and Baldwin, D.G., 1998. Resource management of forested wetlands: hurricane impact and recovery mapped by combining landsat TM and NOAA AVHRR data. Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing 64(7):733-738.

• Ramsey, E.W., III, Laine, S.C., Nelson, G.A., Sapkota, S.K., Strong, M.L., Wooderson, J.K., Day, R.H., Spell, R.E., Chappell, D.K., Stoute, T.L., Kirkman, R.G., and Books, M.A., 1998. Identifying wetland zonation and inundation extent by using satellite remote sensing and ground-based measurements. Pages 83-92 in G.R. Guntenspergen and B.A. Vairin, editors. Vulnerability of Coastal Wetlands in the Southeastern United States: Climate Change Research Results, 1992-97. U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division Biological Science Report USGS/BRD/BSR--1998-0002.

• Ramsey, E.W., III, Nelson, G.A., and Sapkota, S.K., 1998. Classifying coastal resources by integrating optical and radar imagery and color infrared photography. Mangroves and Salt Marshes 2(2):109-119.

• Sapkota, S.K., 1992. Sensitivity of Klassen's Spread Inequality to the Choice of Prior Distributions 1992 - Doctoral Dissertation. University of Louisiana at Lafayette, 73 p.

• Sapkota, S.K., 1984. On Some Insignificant Regression Coefficients. Nepali Mathematical Sciences Report 9(2), 73-84.

• Sapkota, S.K., 1983. Model Formulation: A Key to Statistical Analysis, 1983. Pravaha, Journal of the Institute of Management, Tribhuvan University, 7(7), 33-42.

• Sapkota, S.K., 1983. An Application of Game Theoretic Model for the Agricultural Crop Selection in Nepal, 1983. The Economic Journal of Nepal, 6(4), 39-62.