David L Govoni

Physical Scientist
U.S. Geological Survey, Headquarters, Geospatial Information Office

Short Biography

EDUCATION

B.A. (Honors) (1971) Rutgers University (Geology)

State University of New York at Stony Brook (Paleobiology)

M.S. (1983) The George Washington University (Paleobiology, Biostratigraphy)

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

I joined the USGS in 1990 as a Computer Specialist, and later a Physical Scientist, in the National Mapping Division (NMD).  I served as the Division’s Web Services Coordinator from 1995 until 2002, when I moved to the Geospatial Information Office (GIO) Information Policy and Services Office, now known as the Science Information and Education Office (SIEO).

I currently divide my time between the SIEO’s Enterprise Web Project (EWeb) and various policy-making, coordination, technology assessment, knowledge management, and collaborative development projects on behalf of the larger GIO Enterprise Information Program (EIP).

In my EWeb role of information architecture and design specialist, I am engaged in a number of cross-Bureau activities including development of  strategies and techniques for improving Web-based information organization, navigation, and management.  I have worked with several USGS Science Programs on re-design of their Web sites.

I am actively engaged, along with other members of the Enterprise Thesaurus Team, in the development of a basic Bureau scientific thesaurus and other Knowledge Organization System components to support information discovery and classification.  In a related effort, I contribute to the development and expansion of the USGS Science Topics catalog.

As the EWeb's "Senior Web Advisor", I work with other GIO, DOI, and other Federal Web technical and policy groups to influence or develop policies and guidelines to permit effective use of Social Networking and other emerging "Web 2.0" technologies to support scientific research and collaboration.

In the EIP arena, I am currently focusing on theoretical and technical issues relating to scientific information management, the Semantic Web, Geoinformatics, and on helping to develop a Web-based knowledge management framework for USGS scientists and managers, with particular emphasis on the innovative use of "Web 2.0" tools and services.

EMPLOYMENT

Senior Web Advisor (Enterprise Web)
U.S. Geological Survey - Reston, VA - 2002 to Present

Web Services Coordinator (National Mapping Division)
U.S. Geological Survey - Reston, VA - 1990 to 2002

Director of Management Information Systems
Soil Consultants, Inc. - Fairfax, VA - 1988 to 1990

Information Systems Consultant
Self-employed - Nokesville, VA - 1987 to 1990

Associate Resource Economist
McGraw-Hill/Data Resources, Inc. - Washington, DC - 1983 to 1987

Lecturer in Geology
Various Colleges and Universities - Virginia, Maryland, District of Columbia - 1973 to 1987

Senior Staff Geologist
U.S. Department of Energy - Washington, DC - 1980 to 1981

Assistant Professor of Geology
George Mason University - Fairfax, VA - 1979 to 1980

Research Assistant
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History - Washington, DC - 1974 to 1976

Research Assistant
Academy of Natural Sciences - Philadelphia, PA - 1964 to 1971

Publications

Selected Publications

Gibson, T.G., Bybell, L.M., and Govoni, D.L., 1991
Paleocene and Eocene strata of the central Atlantic Coastal Plain, in Paleocene-Eocene boundary sedimentation in the Potomac River valley, Virginia and Maryland. (T.G. Gibson, leader and others).  IGCP Project 308, October 31, 1991, p. 1-13.

Govoni, D.L., 1983
Gastropod molluscs from the Brightseat Formation (Paleocene: Danian) of Maryland.  Unpublished MS Thesis, George Washington University, Washington, D.C., p. 1-270, 15 pls.

Govoni, D.L., 1984
Coal-based synfuels: down but not out.  Coal Review, McGraw-Hill/Data Resources Coal Service, Spring, p. 47-51.

Govoni, D.L., 1985
Setting the stage for a long-term Western Gulf Coast lignite supply model.  Coal Review, McGraw-Hill/Data Resources Coal Service, Spring, p. 65-74.

Govoni, D.L., Rankin, L., and Dean, J., 1986
Colombian coal: the Latin-American coal giant awakens.  Coal Review, McGraw-Hill/Data Resources Coal Service, Spring, p. 49-55.

Govoni, D.L., 1986
Regional focus: Mid-Atlantic coal demand region.  Coal Review, McGraw-Hill/Data Resources Coal Service, Summer, p. 9-20.

Govoni, D.L., 1986
Regional focus: North Appalachia coal supply region.  Coal Review, McGraw-Hill/Data Resources Coal Service, Summer, p. 109-120.

Govoni, D.L., 1991
Composition and biogeographic significance of the gastropod mollusk fauna of the Brightseat Formation (Paleocene: Danian) of Maryland, in Paleocene-Eocene boundary sedimentation in the Potomac River valley, Virginia and Maryland. (T.G. Gibson, leader and others).  IGCP Project 308, October 31, 1991, p. 63-83.

Govoni, D.L., 1998
World Wide Web expedites access to USGS mapping data, in U.S. Geological Survey, 1998, Making a world of difference: recent USGS contributions to the Nation. (G.S. Farris, editor), p. 26-27.  U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia.

Selected Abstracts and Presentations

Bybell, L.M., and Govoni, D.L., 1977
Preliminary calcareous nannofossil zonation of the Brightseat and Aquia Formations (Paleocene) of Maryland and Virginia - stratigraphic implications (Abstract).  American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, vol. 61, no. 5., p. 773-774.

Govoni, D.L., 1995
U.S. Geological Survey data resources and the Internet -- a marriage made in cyberspace (Abstract).  Final Program, 2nd Annual Geographic Technology in Government Conference, Sept. 5-8, 1995, Reston, Virginia, p. 15.

Govoni, D.L., 1995
U.S. Geological Survey data resources and the Internet -- a marriage made in cyberspace (Abstract).  10th Annual Northeast ARC Users Group Conference, Nov. 6-8, 1995, Newport, Rhode Island.  Addendum.

Govoni, D.L., 1996
U.S. Geological Survey earth science information in the electronic information age.  Proceedings of the 5th Annual Federal Depository Library Conference, April 15-18, 1996, Arlington, Virginia, p. 78-80.

Govoni, D.L., 1996
U.S. Geological Survey National Geospatial Data Clearinghouse and its role in serving Earth Science information in the electronic information age.  USGS 8th National Computer Technology Meeting, May 19-24, 1996, Rancho Mirage, California, p. 78-80.

Govoni, D.L., 1997
Imagery and more: U.S. Geological Survey data and information resources.  2nd International Conference on Practical Satellite Imagery Projects for News Media and NGOs, Mar. 4, 1997,  American University, Washington, D.C.

Govoni, D.L., 1997
Designing an accessible web.  USGS Internet Workshop: 1997 Internet Services Technical Exchange Meeting, May 13-15, EROS Data Center, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Govoni, D.L., 1997
GNIS: Geographic Names Information System.  USGS Internet Workshop: 1997 Internet Services Technical Exchange Meeting, May 13-15, EROS Data Center, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Govoni, D.L., 1997
National Mapping Division electronic publishing policy.  USGS Internet Workshop: 1997 Internet Services Technical Exchange Meeting, May 13-15, EROS Data Center, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Govoni, D.L., 1997
National Mapping Division Web Services Advisory Group, USGS Internet Workshop: 1997 Internet Services Technical Exchange Meeting, May 13-15, EROS Data Center, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Govoni, D.L., 1997
USGS State InfoNet -- project overview, USGS Internet Workshop: 1997 Internet Services Technical Exchange Meeting, May 13-15, EROS Data Center, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Govoni, D.L., 1998
Designing an accessible Web: Challenges, tools, and techniques.  Workshop.  6th Open Conference Addressing the Employment of People with Disabilities, October 21-22, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia.

Govoni, D.L., 2000
Designing an accessible Web: Challenges, tools, and techniques.  USGS Information Technology Exchange Meeting 2000, June 26-30, Chicago, Illinois.

Govoni, D.L., 2001
Gateway to the Earth: an integrated approach to USGS information delivery, in U.S. Government Printing Office, 2001, Proceedings of the 9th Annual Federal Depository Library Conference.  (M.W. MacGilvray, editor).  October 22-25, 2000, Arlington, Virginia, p. 46-49.

Govoni, D.L., 2001
Gateway to the Earth 101: USGS Libraries: Connecting resources for integrated science: USGS Library Consortium, August 7-9, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia.

Govoni, D.L. and T.M. Gunther, 2006
Scientific Information Management at the U.S. Geological Survey: Issues, challenges, and a collaborative approach to identifying and applying solutions (Abstract).  Geoinformatics 2006—Abstracts.  Scientific Investigations Report 2006-5201, p. 19-20.  U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia.  [presentation]

Govoni, D.L., Zanter, K.M., and Faundeen, J.L., 1997
Role of the Internet World Wide Web in the dissemination of USGS geospatial data and information.  Urban and Regional Information Systems Association, 1997 Annual Conference Proceedings, July 19-23, 1997, p. 1-5, CD-ROM, Paper 243.pdf.  Toronto, Canada.

Hirsch, A., and Govoni, D.L., 1973
Food supply: Limiting factor of foraminiferal populations (Abstract).  American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, vol. 54, no. 4. p. 784.

Lanfear, K.J., and Govoni, D.L., 1996
The U.S. Geological Survey node of the National Geospatial Data Clearinghouse.  American Water Resources Association, 32nd Annual Conference and Symposium on GIS and Water Resources, Sept. 22-26, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Ryan, B.J. and Govoni, D.L., 2001
USGS Gateway to the Earth - transforming our understanding of the environment, (Abstract).  International Society for Digital Earth, Second International Symposium on Digital Earth, June 24-28, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.

My USGS Science Strategy Areas

Science Center Affiliation

Paleontological research, birdwatching, kayaking, international travel, English Country Dance.  Cofounder and Web Site Administrator of The Leesburg Assembly, an English Country Dance community centered in Northern Virginia.