Development Seed

Robert is the lead GIS developer at Development Seed where he helps transform our partners' data into easy-to-use tools that deliver high value to researchers and policy makers. In this realm, he leads up projects involving mapping and opening up data sets.

He recently led the development of AfghanistanElectionData.org, the data browser used visualize voting irregularities in Afghanistan's presidential election by allowing users to browse the raw vote count and see the data on a map with additional contextual information such as ethnic and security data.

He works closely with Tom and AJ on the development of MapBox, our suite of open source tools that make it easier to create data powered custom maps and host them in the cloud, and is behind an effort to improve access to basic GIS data in several African countries by extending the data set in OpenStreetMap. In addition to his GIS and data handling work, Robert is a skilled Drupal programmer who plays a key roll building out sites and furthering other tools, like Slingshot SMS and the OpenLayers module.

Before joining Development Seed, Robert held technology and research positions at a number of organizations, including the World Resources Institute, the Smithsonian, and Chicago's Center for Neighborhood Technology, where his responsibilities have included GIS, policy research, data analysis, and communications strategy. Robert holds dual master's degrees in International Affairs and Natural Resources and Sustainable Development from American University and the United Nations University for Peace. While attending graduate school in the central valley of Costa Rica, he worked for the Nectandra Institute collecting economic data and using maps as facilitation tools for developing community-based land management plans.