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Keefer, Donald

Research Affiliate

Illinois State Geological Survey

Address and Contact Information

615 E. Peabody Drive

Champaign, IL 61820

(217) 333-4930

Education

Ph.D., Informatics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2023 (Advisor: Catherine Blake; Dissertation title: Advancing Knowledge-Rich Intelligent Systems in Geology: Research on Information Integration, Representation, and Use)

M.S., Agronomy, University of Illinois at Urbana-Chamapaign, 1993 (Advisor: Thomas J. Bicki; Thesis title: Evaluation of pesticide movement in a tile-drained soil)

B.S., Geology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1985

Biography

Dr. Donald A. Keefer is an Earth and information science researcher who focuses on information representation and practice-based reasoning in uncertain systems. He obtained his BS in Geology (1985), his MS in Agronomy (Soil Water Quality) (1993), and his PhD in Informatics (2023) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Following the completion of his Bachelor's degree, Don worked at the Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS), now a division of the Prairie Research Institute at UIUC, from 1985-2017 where he focused on advancing the use of geologic information in sustainable groundwater management. His research ranged from field-based studies of shallow water and chemical movement, to the use of GIS technology in decision making and environmental policy, to the advancment of information representation and modeling technologies in geologic characterization and problem solving. While at the ISGS, Dr. Keefer was the Head of the Hydrogeology and Geophysics Section (2004-2005 and 2011-2015), and the Director of the Geologic Mapping and Hydrogeology Center (2005-2011). He was the founding Head of the Earth Systems Visualization Laboratory at the ISGS from 2009-2017.

Dr. Keefer left the ISGS in 2017 to focus on the completion of his Ph.D. in Informatics – which he completed in 2023. Don has maintained a Research Affiliate position with the ISGS since 2017, where he collaborates with colleagues on advancing methods in geologic characterization. Through his research, he has contributed internationally to the advancement of representation and modeling technologies in geologic characterization studies, collaborating with colleagues in the US, Canada, Britain, and Denmark. He has focused particularly on the recognition and use of practice-based knowledge in characterization, and the integration of practice-based knowledge in information systems. Over the past decade, his research has expanded to advance both geospatial information representation, and practice-informed, AI-based reasoning under uncertainty.

Research Interests

Representation and visualization of geospatial information and knowledge

Artificial Intelligence in practice-informed reasoning under uncertainty

Multi-scale characterization and modeling of geologic systems

Use of practice-informed inference in decision making, risk analysis, and public policy

Professional Affiliations

Geological Society of America

American Geophysical Union

International Association of Mathematical Geosciences

Association for Information Science and Technology

Licensed Professional Geologist - Illinois

Biography Short

Dr. Donald A. Keefer is an Earth and information science researcher who focuses on information representation and practice-based reasoning in uncertain systems. Dr. Keefer worked at the Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS), now a division of the Prairie Research Institute at UIUC, for 32 years where he focused on advancing methods for representation, visualization and modeling of geologic systems to support sustainable groundwater management. Since 2017, Dr. Keefer has maintained a Research Affiliate position with the ISGS, where he collaborates with colleagues on the advancement of geospatial information representation and practice-informed, AI-based reasoning under uncertainty.

Selected Publications

Book Chapters

Keefer, D.A., J.F. Thomason, 2021. Effective and Efficient Workflows. In A.K. Turner, H. Kessler, M. van der Meulin (Eds), Applied Multidimensional Geological Modeling, Wiley- Blackwell.

Stumpf, A.J., D.A. Keefer, 2021. Overview of the Modeling Process. In A.K. Turner, H. Kessler, M. van der Meulin (Eds), Applied Multidimensional Geological Modeling, Wiley-Blackwell.

Thomason, J.F., D.A. Keefer, 2021. Model Creation Using Stacked Surfaces. In A.K. Turner, H. Kessler, M. van der Meulin (Eds), Applied Multidimensional Geological Modeling, Wiley- Blackwell.

Reports, Journal Articles, and Proceedings Papers

Keefer, D. A., & Blake, C. (2024). Information Behaviors and Decision Making in Practice: A Study of Expertise and Trust. IN REVIEW, Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology.

Keefer, Donald A., 2023. Advancing Knowledge-Rich Intelligent Systems in Geology: Research on Information Integration, Representation, and Use. Ph.D. Dissertation. Informatics. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 170p.

Keefer, D. A., C. Blake, 2022. Human-Driven Models: A Case Study of Geologists as They Engage with Data for Decision Making. Proceedings of the 85th Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science and Technology, Pittsburgh, PA, October 29 – November 1, 2022, ASIS&T, 51–57.

Keefer, D.A., C. Blake, 2021. Data reuse assessment: Modeling alignment among multiple data streams. Proceedings of the 84th Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science and Technology, doi: 10.1002/pra2.451.

Keefer, D.A., K.M. Wickett, 2020. Adapting research process models for design of knowledge engineering applications. 83rd Annual Meeting of the Association for Information Science and Technology, Online, October 23-30, 7p. – Best Short Paper Award

Kumar, P., P.V.V. Le, A.N.T. Papanicolaou, B.L. Rhoads, A.M. Anders, A. Stumpf, C.G. Wilson, E.A. Bettis III, N. Blair, A.S. Ward, T. Filley, H. Lin, L. Keefer, D.A. Keefer, Y.-F. Lin, M. Muste, T.V. Royer, E. Foufoula-Georgiou, P. Belmont, 2018. Critical Transition in critical zone of intensively managed landscapes. Anthropocene, v. 22, pp. 10-19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ancene.2018.04.002

Høyer, A.-S., G. Vignoli, T.M. Hansen, L.T. Vu, D.A. Keefer, F. Jørgensen, 2017. Multiple-point statistical simulation for hydrogeologic models: 3-D training image development and conditioning strategies, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 21, pp.6069-6089, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-6069-2017.

Vignoli, G., A.-S. Høyer, T.M. Hansen, L.T. Vu, D. Keefer, F. Jørgensen, 2017. 3D Training Image Development and Conditioning Strategies for Multiple-Conditioning Strategies for Multiple-Point Statistical Simulations. Symposium on the Application of Geophysics To Engineering and Environmental Problems (SAGEEP) 2017, pp. 383-386. https://doi.org/10.4133/SAGEEP.30-049

Gershenzon, ,N.I., M.R. Soltanian, R.W. Ritzi, D.F. Dominic, D. Keefer, E. Shaffer, B. Storsved, 2015. How does the connectivity of open-framework conglomerates within multi-scale hierarchical fluvial architecture affect oil-sweep efficiency in waterflooding, Geosphere, v. 11, no. 6, 18, pp: 1-18, doi:10.1130/GES01115.1.

Dey, W.S., A.M. Davis, B.B. Curry, D.A. Keefer, C.C. Abert, 2007. Kane County water resources investigations: Final report on geologic investigations. Illinois State Geological Survey, Open File Series 2007-7, 114p.

Keefer, D.A., A.M. Davis, 2004. Addressing Data Management Challenges in 3-D Geologic Mapping Projects. (In) Geological Models for Groundwater Flow Modeling: Workshop Extended Abstracts, R.C. Berg, H. Russell and L.H. Thorleifson (convenors), St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, May 15, 2004. Illinois State Geological Survey, Open File Series 2004-8, 100p.

Keefer, D.A., 2002. Techniques for Improved Geologic Modeling, (In) Digital Mapping Techniques ‘02 – Workshop Proceedings, D.R. Soller (ed), Salt Lake City, UT, May 19-22, 2002, US Geological Survey, Open File Report 02-370, pp. 135-140.

Keefer, D. A., E. D. McKay, and R. C. Berg, 2002. Evaluating uncertainty in geologic models from the IL29 Geologic Mapping Project. (In) Three-Dimensional Geological Mapping for Groundwater Applications: Workshop Extended Abstracts, L.Harvey Thorliefson, Richard C. Berg (convenors), Denver, Colorado, October 26, 2002. Geological Survey of Canada Open File 1449, p. 27-31.

Keefer, D. A., D. R. Larson, 2001. A Method for Addressing Variable Data Quality and Clustered Data. (In) Geological Models for Groundwater Flow Modeling: Workshop Extended Abstracts / Richard C. Berg, L. Harvey Thorleifson, (convenors). North-Central Sectional Meeting, Geological Society of America, April 22. Illinois State Geological Survey Open File Series OFS2001-1. March 2001, p. 24-25.

Keefer, D.A., 1995a. Potential for Agricultural Chemical Contamination of Aquifers in Illinois: 1995 Revision. Illinois State Geological Survey Environmental Geology 148, 29p.

Maps

Keefer, D.A., 1995b. Aquifer Sensitivity to Contamination by Nitrate Leaching in Illinois. Statewide map, 1:500,000. Illinois State Geological Survey Open File Series 1995-3S.

Keefer, D.A., 1995c. Aquifer Sensitivity to Contamination by Pesticide Leaching in Illinois. Statewide map 1:500,000. Illinois State Geological Survey Open File Series 1995-5S.

McKenna, D.P., and D.A. Keefer, 1991. Potential for Agricultural Chemical Contamination of Aquifers in Illinois. Statewide map, 1:500,00 scale. Illinois State Geological Survey Open File Series 1991-7S.

Keefer, D.A., and R.C. Berg, 1990. Potential for Aquifer Recharge in Illinois. Statewide map, 1:1,000,000 scale. Illinois State Geological Survey.