I began working on the NHGIS project as a graduate assistant in 2001 and joined the full-time research staff in 2009. My primary role is to direct NHGIS's metadata harmonization, time series production, and data documentation, and I also contribute to IPUMS-USA, leading the development of integrated geographic microdata variables.
The primary aim of my research has been to develop and apply methods of spatio-temporal analysis and visualization of census data. One focus has been on areal interpolation models to produce geographically standardized time series where the boundaries of census reporting units have changed. For my doctoral research, I illustrated patterns in long-term population trends throughout major U.S. cities by applying a novel multivariate mapping technique to time series of census tract data. I continue seeking out new ways to model and illustrate population distributions and trends effectively.