I am a physical geographer and meteorologist with research interests in human-environment interactions whereby humans alter their local climate and weather variations affect human health and mortality. My previous research has focused on thunderstorms initiated by the urban heat island of Atlanta, moisture transport into Arizona during the annual monsoon season, and the effects of extreme temperature on human mortality.  Some of my more recent projects include studies of temperature effects on suicide rates, climate effects on wildfire risk, human response to hurricane evacuations, and severe weather climatology.

Education
Ph.D. (Geography), Arizona State University, 2005
M.S. (Geography), University of Georgia, 2002
B.S. (Geosciences), Mississippi State University, 2000

Experience
Associate Professor, Mississippi State University, 2011–present

Assistant Professor, Mississippi State University, 2005–2011

Adjunct Faculty, Western Kentucky University, 2011–present

Temporary Member of the Graduate Faculty, University of Alabama, 2008–present
Teaching Assistant, Arizona State University, 2003–2005
Adjunct Faculty, Maricopa Community Colleges, 2003–2005
Research Assistant, Arizona State University, 2002–2003
Research Assistant, University of Georgia, 2001–2002
Teaching Assistant, University of Georgia, 2000–2001
Meteorological Technician, USDA Joint Agricultural Weather Facility, 1999
Research Technician, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Langmuir Laboratory, 1998

Publications (Student Co-authors underlined, * = undergraduates)

Refereed:

Hutton, B. T., K. N. Scheitlin, and P. G. Dixon, 2013: Solar Cycle Extremes as a Seasonal Predictor of Atlantic-Basin Tropical Cyclones. Southeastern Geographer, 53, 50–60. [Full Text]

Dixon, P. G., and A. E. Mercer, 2012: Reply to “Comments on ‘Tornado Risk Analysis: Is Dixie Alley an Extension of Tornado Alley?’” Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 93, 408–410. [Abstract]

Dixon, P. G., A. E. Mercer, J. Choi, and J. S. Allen, 2011: Tornado Risk Analysis: Is Dixie Alley an extension of Tornado Alley? Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 92, 433–441. [Abstract] [Featured in several national and international media outlets]

Senkbeil, J. C., D. M. Brommer, P. G. Dixon, M. E. Brown, and K. Sherman-Morris, 2010: The Perceived Landfall Location of Evacuees from Hurricane Gustav. Natural Hazards, 54, 141–158. [Abstract]

Scheitlin, K. N., and P. G. Dixon, 2010: Variations in diurnal temperature range in the Southeast due to land use/land-cover classifications, 1995–2004. Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, 49, 879–888. [Abstract]

Dixon, P. G., and A. J. Kalkstein, 2010: Teaching and Learning Guide for: Climate-Suicide Relationships: A research problem in need of geographic methods and cross-disciplinary perspectives. Geography Compass, 4, 485–489. [Full Text]

Dixon, P. G., and A. J. Kalkstein, 2009: Climate-Suicide Relationships: A research problem in need of geographic methods and cross-disciplinary perspectives. Geography Compass, 3, 1961–1974.  DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-8198.2009.00286.x. [Abstract] [PDF]

Dixon, P. G., M. E. Brown, M. C. Carter*, W. S. Gunter*, J. S. Allen*, A. M. Hayes, L. E. Becker*, H. S. Eschete*, R. P. Aylward, and K. N. Scheitlin, 2008: Predicting Atlantic hurricane paths using monthly surface pressure data, The Geographical Bulletin, 49, 77–86.

Dixon, P. G., G. B. Goodrich, and W. H. Cooke, 2008: Using teleconnections to predict wildfires in Mississippi. Monthly Weather Review, 136, 2804–2811.  [Abstract] [PDF]

Dixon, P. G., 2008: Effects of precipitable water and CAPE on precipitation in southern Arizona. Journal of the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science, 40, 66–73.   [PDF]

Dixon, P. G., M. E. Brown, K. Sherman-Morris, and B. L. Kirkland, 2008: Comments on “Seals of (Dis)Approval: Television Weathercasters Debate the Value of Voluntary Credentials.” National Weather Digest, 32, 61–65.

Dixon, P. G., M. E. Brown, K. Sherman-Morris, and B. L. Kirkland, 2008: Meteorology Degrees and Certificates Offered by Mississippi State University. National Weather Digest, 32, 69–70.

Dixon, P. G., A. N. McDonald, K. N. Scheitlin, J. E. Stapleton, J. S. Allen*, W. M. Carter*, M. R. Holley*, D. D. Inman*, and J. B. Roberts*, 2007: Effects of temperature variation on suicide in five U.S. counties, 1991-2001. International Journal of Biometeorology, 51, 395–403. [Abstract] [PDF]

Dixon, P. G., 2006: An ALARMS Climatology of Gulf of California Moisture Surges and the Associated Precipitation, 1993-2004. Physical Geography, 27, 86–108.  [Abstract] [PDF]

Dixon, P. G., 2005: Using sounding data to detect gulf surges during the North American monsoon.  Monthly Weather Review, 133, 3047–3052. [Abstract] [PDF]

Dixon, P. G., D. M. Brommer, B. C. Hedquist, A. J. Kalkstein, G. B. Goodrich, J. C. Walter, C. C. Dickerson, IV, S. J. Penny, and R. S. Cerveny, 2005: Heat Mortality Versus Cold Mortality: A study of conflicting databases. Bull. Amer. Meteor. Soc., 86, 937–944. [Abstract] [PDF]

Parnell, D. B., D. Brommer, P. G. Dixon, M. E. Brown, and D. W. Gamble, 2004: A survey of Hurricane Frances damage on San Salvador. Bahamas Journal of Science, 12, 2–6.

Dixon, P. G., 2004: The Urban Desert: A temporal study of humidity values in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Journal of the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science, 36, 127–138. [PDF]

Ashley, W. S., T. L. Mote, P. G., Dixon, J. D. Durkee, E. J. Powell, S. L. Trotter, and A. J. Grundstein, 2003: Distribution of mesoscale convective complex rainfall in the United States. Monthly Weather Review, 131, 3002–3017. [Full Text]

Dixon, P. G., and T. L. Mote, 2003: Patterns and causes of Atlanta's urban heat island-initiated precipitation. Journal of Applied Meteorology, 42, 1273–1284. [Full Text]

Gamble, D. W., M. E. Brown, D. Parnell, D. Brommer, and P. G. Dixon, 2000: Lessons learned from Hurricane Floyd damage on San Salvador. Bahamas Journal of Science, 8, 25–31.

Other:

Dixon, P. G., 2011: Mississippi State University, Encyclopedia of Global Warming and Climate Change, Second Edition, S. G. Philander and J. G. Golson, Eds., Sage Publications, in press.

Dixon, P. G., and A. J. Kalkstein, 2008: Do global temperatures really affect Italian suicides? — comments on “Global warming possibly linked to an enhanced risk of suicide:  Data from Italy, 1974–2003”.  Comments page for the International Society for Affective Disorders [Available online at http://www.isad.org.uk/JADcomments.asp].

Dixon, P. G., 2008: Mississippi State University, Encyclopedia of Global Warming and Climate Change, S. G. Philander, Ed., Sage Publications, 1552 pp.

Dixon, P. G., 2005: The effects of gulf surges and low-level moisture on precipitation and severe weather in Arizona. Ph.D. dissertation, Dept. of Geography, Arizona State University, 102 pp. [Abstract] [PDF]

Dixon, P. G., 2003: Earth - Sun Relationships. Introductory Physical Geography Laboratory Manual, Erinanne M. Saffell, Hayden-McNeil Publishing, pp. 31-40.

Ashley, W. S., P. G. Dixon, J. D. Durkee, E. J. Powell, S. L. Trotter, T. L. Mote, and A. J. Grundstein, 2002: A climatology of mesoscale convective complexes in the United States. Preprints, 21st Annual Conference on Severe Local Storms, American Meteorological Society, San Antonio, Texas. [Abstract]

Dixon, P. G., 2002: Climatological Patterns of Atlanta's Urban Heat Island-Initiated Precipitation. M.S. thesis, Dept. of Geography, The University of Georgia, 149 pp. [Abstract]

Professional Affiliations
International Society of Biometeorology

American Meteorological Society
National Weather Association
Association of American Geographers

Southeastern Division of the Association of American Geographers