Alan Hitch

Alan Hitch is an Associate Professor of Data Science at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. His research focuses on vertebrate ecology, epidemiology, and Bayesian analysis, particularly in the context of disease surveillance. He leads projects in Cambodia, Kazakhstan, West Africa, and Harrisburg, PA, examining host-pathogen relationships through occupancy estimation and hierarchical Bayesian models. Notable work includes bat and rodent habitat modeling in Cambodia, camel-bat co-occurrence studies in Kazakhstan, and wastewater epidemiology for SARS-CoV-2 in Pennsylvania.

He teaches courses such as Data Simulation, Bayesian Modeling (ANLY 505), Data Visualization (ANLY 512), and Applied Predictive Modeling (ANLY 705) at the graduate and doctoral levels. His expertise spans ecological modeling, serological analysis, and citizen science applications. Recent publications address biodiversity in Cambodia, camel MERS exposure in Kazakhstan, and bat phylogeny.

No scientific awards or grants are explicitly mentioned in the provided text. No formal advisees are listed, though he seeks collaborators and students interested in ecology-disease interfaces.