My initial training was in cadastre and geodesy (B.Eng from the Distrital University, UD, Colombia). After earning my Master’s degree in Geography (UPTC, Colombia) in 2003, I worked for the “José Benito Vives de Andreis” marine and coastal research institute (INVEMAR) and for the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). Three years later, in 2006, I left Colombia to come to Canada, where I began a PhD in Geography with a specialization in modelling complex systems at Simon Fraser University (SFU), under the direction of Dr. Suzana Dragicevic (SAMLab). In my dissertation I examined the topic of spatial and temporal modelling of insect epidemics and their complex behaviours. After obtaining my PhD in 2011, I began postdoctoral studies at the University of British Columbia (2011) and the University of Victoria (2011-2013), where I worked on issues concerning the spatial and temporal relationships between changes in indirect indicators of biodiversity and climate change.
My research interest is to learn more about spatial and temporal interactions and relationships driving changes in our world. Spatial analysis and modelling and geographic information systems (GIS) can provide insights into complex problems such as climate change, landscape ecology and forestry by explicitly representing phenomena in their geographic context. My research focuses on the multidisciplinary nature of geographical information science (GIScience) to investigate the relationships between ecological processes and resulting spatial patterns.
I am a developer for CoMSES Net as part of the Global Biosocial Complexity Initiative at Arizona State University. I work on improving model reuse, accessibility and discoverability through the development of the comses.net website and the CoMSES bibliographic database (catalog.comses.net). I also provide data analysis and software development advice on coupling models, version control, dependency management and data analysis to researchers and modelers.
My interests include model componentization, statistics, data analysis and improving model development and resuability practices.
Behavioural ecology and modelling of ant behaviour, with an emphasis on understanding how individual-level complexity affects collective decision-making
I have been researching in synchronization between agent-based-models (ABM) and multi robot systems used in logistic and manufacturing. I use Netlogo as ABM.
I develop and agile methodology to use the same ABM as supervisory control and data aquisition (SCADA). The framework works fine and I test it in two SCADAs, which you can see in my youtube channel (http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJIb_UL-ak98F5OZxOHL0FQ).
Agent-based modeling of human behaviour; virtual experiments
I live near Cambridge, and recently I developed agent-based land-use models with Geography PhD students there. I also took part in the “Cybernetics and Society” seminar.
Previously, I spent three years at Ludwig-Maximillians University, Munich, working on Human-Environment Relations and Sustainability, and over two and a half years at Surrey University, working on Innovation with Nigel Gilbert in the Centre for Research in Social Simulation (CRESS). The project at Surrey resulted in a book in 2014, “Simulating Innovation: Computer-based Tools for Rethinking Innovation”. My PhD topic, modelling human agents who energise or de-energise each other in social interactions, drew upon the work of sociologist Randall Collins. My multi-disciplinary background includes degrees in Operational Research (MSc) and Philosophy (BA/MA).
I got hooked on agent-based modelling and complexity science some time around 2000, via the work of Brian Arthur, Stuart Kauffman, Robert Axelrod and Duncan Watts (no relation!).
I am an agent-based modeller specialising in Netlogo and Excel/VBA. My recent interests include Human-Environment Relations, Innovation, Collective Intelligence and Governance Systems, and the Collapse of Complex Societies.
I have a longer term aim to study the modelling of Institutions, especially the cognitive architecture for agents who can recognise, learn and innovate in institutions.
If you’re based near Cambridge and have an idea for a modelling project, for the cost of a beer/coffee I’m always willing to offer advice.
I am a computer scientist by training and full stack software engineer / systems administrator and have been building cyberinfrastructure for computational social science at ASU since 2006; these projects include the Digital Archaeological Record, the Virtual Commons, the Social Ecological Systems Library, and CoMSES Net, where I serve as a co-director.
I’m also a Software / Data Carpentries maintainer and instructor and a member of the Force 11 Software Citation Implementation Working Group.
My research interests include collective action, social ecological systems, large-scale software systems engineering, model componentization and coupling, and finding effective ways to promote and facilitate good software engineering practices for reusable & reproducible scientific computation.