Fernando Benitez-Paez Email & Phone Number

I’m currently lecturer in Spatial Data Science at the School of Geography and Sustainable Development in the University of St Andrews, Scotland. Previously I worked as research associate at The Alan Turing Institute, measuring policy impact in the COVID-19 crisis and building resilience against future shocks.I’m former postdoctoral research fellow at The Geospatial Technologies (GeoTec) research group in the Institute of New Imaging Technologies (INIT) in the Universitat Jaume I in Spain. I also worked as Postdoctoral researcher in spatial data science at the School of Geography and Sustainable Development at the University of St Andrews.During my doctorate, I was part of the GeoC: Enabling Open Cities (http://geo-c.eu/) European project at Universitat Jame I. Studying the real impact and re-use level of open geographic data in cities. Defining a user-centric framework to help local data authorities to shape their ongoing open data strategies towards a bottom-up approach based on what data user communities are demanding.I have experience in the private sector as former head of the geographic innovation team "Semillero de Innovación Geografica", leading several projects related to developing geographic applications in native and web platforms using Esri Technologies. I also worked as a developer program manager sharing the benefits of the ArcGIS for Developers platform.During my work in Esri Colombia, previously called Prosis S.A, I supported several authorities, including IGAC, DANE, Ministerio de Salud, Catastro Bogotá, and more, in the correct implementation of GIS platforms using Esri technologies.