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People of SEDAC

NASA’s Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC) comprises a team of experts in social and information science, demography, human-environment interactions, data management and policy, geographic information systems (GIS), and data systems and information technology.

SEDAC Staff

NameTitle
Alex de SherbininManager
Sri VinayDeputy Manager and Systems Engineer
Robert DownsCo-Project Scientist
Dana ThomsonCo-Project Scientist
Hans BoschIT Security Point of Contact and Operations Manager 
Francis LindsayContracting Officer's Representative, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

User Working Group

The SEDAC User Working Group (UWG) provides ongoing advice and guidance regarding SEDAC activities and plans. UWG members represent a broad range of social and natural science disciplines and other user groups from the public and private sectors. A SEDAC project scientist serves as executive secretary.

Roles and Responsibilities

User Working Group responsibilities include reviewing SEDAC's progress and performance, representation of user community perspectives in the development of SEDAC  products and services, recommendation of specific data products and services to NASA and SEDAC, and provision of strategic guidance to NASA and SEDAC on objectives, priorities, target user communities, implementation approaches, and other issues.

Current Members

NameTitle/Affiliation
William Easterling IIIUWG Chair, Department of Geography; The Pennsylvania State University
Robert DownsExecutive Secretary; SEDAC Co-Project Scientist, CIESIN
Dana ThomsonExecutive Secretary; SEDAC Co-Project Scientist, CIESIN
Karl BenedictResearch Data Services Information Technology Services, University of New Mexico
Jillian CampbellUN Convention on Biological Diversity
Ryan EngstromData Science Program, Department of Geography, George Washington University
Josh FisherAdvanced Consortium on Cooperation, Conflict and Complexity (AC4), Columbia University
Chris FunkClimate Hazards Center, University of California, Santa Barbara
Matt HauerDepartment of Sociology and Center for Demography and Population Health, 
Florida State University
 
Lori HunterCU Population Center, Institute of Behavioral Science, Department of Sociology, University of Colorado, Boulder
Charles HuyckImageCat
Darla MunroeLincoln Institute of Land Policy
Catherine NakalembeDepartment of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland
Tom ParrisISciences LLC
Amy PientaInter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), University of Michigan
Dan RunfolaDepartment of Applied Science, William and Mary
Patricia SolisKnowledge Exchange for Resilience and School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, Arizona State University
Benjamin StewartDevelopment Data Group, World Bank
Alex ZvoleffBetty and Gordon Moore Center for Science, Conservation International