Introducing Dr. Douglas Bigwood

Published in Probe Volume 1(304): Fall-Winter 1991

Dr. Douglas Bigwood is the Database Manager for NAL's Plant Genome Data and Information Center. Dr. Bigwood is primarily responsible for directing the implementation of the plant genome database system at NAL. The database is an initiative of USDA's Plant Genome Research Program. Dr. Bigwood coordinates database activities of the Center and USDA's Plant Genome Research Program in the participating agencies. He also coordinates this database work with that of other genome research programs outside USDA. Dr. Bigwood was first employed with the Center in February 1991 through a contract with the University of Maryland.

Prior to coming to NAL, Dr. Bigwood was self-employed as a consultant in expert systems and neural network development. From 1989 to 1991, he worked as a consultant for the Network Technology Division at COMSAT Laboratories. His accomplishments there included developing a Network Management Expert System.

Dr. Bigwood has worked previously with USDA's Agricultural Research Service. From 1985 to 1989, he was employed as a contract scientist with the Systems Research Laboratory. Responsibilities there included the research and development of artificial intelligence technology.

From 1984 to 1985, Dr. Bigwood served as a senior systems analyst for the ARS Technology Transfer Office. While in this position, he developed the Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN), which allows rapid access to new research results submitted for publication.

Dr. Bigwood initially worked with ARS as a contract microcomputer specialist in the Communications and Data Services Division. There he evaluated new microcomputer hardware and software, and designed and developed computer programs.

Dr. Bigwood has had experience with a large number of operating systems and programming languages, and a variety of hardware and software. He has authored or coauthored numerous articles in scientific journals and proceedings on expert systems, artificial intelligence, and database management systems. In Addition, Dr. Bigwood has been an invited speaker at several scientific and professional conferences. He is a member of various professional organizations, including the American Association for Artificial Intelligence and the International Neural Network Society.

A native of Massachusetts, Dr. Bigwood earned his B.S. degree in botany from the University of New Hampshire. He holds a Ph.D. in plant ecology, with minors in genetics and statistics, from the University of Maryland.