about harrison
My name is Harrison DeFord, and this website serves as a collection of documents showing my journey as I learn more about space, place, and what we can learn from them.
I primarily write code in R, which I began learning in early 2022. I’m a geographer by training, but am also particularly interested in riding my bike (slowly), transportation and development in urban areas, and how geography shapes these topics.
I’m currently a senior data analyst as part of the BCSTAT team in the Baltimore County Executive Office, where I serve as a spatial data guru, leading the development of internal and external tools, including the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) web experience and the Baltimore County Food Pantry Locator. Working in the public sector is immensely fulfilling, and BCSTAT’s unique position in the government structure means I have experience with all sorts of topics, including animal services, code enforcement, fire/EMS, tax credits, transportation, and more.
I graduated from UMBC with a BS in Geography and Environmental Systems in December 2022, and have since returned as a graduate student pursuing my MS, again in Geography and Environmental Systems. At UMBC I’ve had the opportunity to work with several professors in a lab environment.
| Professor | Laboratory | Research Topics | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. Dillon Mahmoudi | Mapping Capital | Air quality, Census data, micromobility, critical geography | Aug 2021 - Present |
| Dr. Matthew Fagan | Earth from Above | Remote Sensing, Machine Learning, Reforestation | Aug 2022 - Mar 2022 |
During my time at UMBC, I’ve also had the chance to work with other organizations on various projects, including the Partnership for a Healthier America and UMBC’s IS department as a Data Science Scholar.
If you’re interested in working with me on a project, please reach out at hdeford1 [at] umbc [dot] edu. I currently don’t have much bandwidth, but am always willing to listen to new research ideas!