Dr. Timothy Haithcoat joined our program as an Assistant Teaching Professor of Data Science and Analytics in August 2022 and brings years of experience in developing and managing geospatial technologies in both research and applied environments to the DSA program.

Tim holds a Master’s in Wildlife Biology and a PhD in Geoinformatics, both from the University of Missouri – Columbia. His research interests involve applying geographic information approaches for solving real-world application issues and their subsequent accuracy assessment and validation. This applied research supports interdisciplinary research objectives in a range of diverse areas including wildlife biology, broadband access, risk assessment, social and cultural mapping, and healthcare assessments.

His current research involves the development and expansion of the Geospatial Analytical Research Knowledgebase (GeoARK). The GeoARK was designed and created within the University of Missouri’s Institute for Data Science and Informatics. It is a spatially engendered big database with information that is pre-processed, cleaned, integrated and represented in a spatial context as represented by 162 million points. The data includes demographic, environmental, infrastructure, cultural, physical, as well as geospatially derived layers (remoteness, isolation, accessibility, etc.). The spatial design allows for quantification at location to be focused and visualized which can promote greater understanding and increase communication of interconnections, impacts, opportunities, and risks. The design also enhances the ability of researchers to identify, mitigate, and potentially prevent health disparities.

Apart from his experience in the research field, Tim has served as member of the Missouri GIS Advisory Committee, the Informational Domain Chair of the Missouri Adaptive Enterprise Architecture Initiative, Chair of the Missouri Governor’s Homeland Security Advisory Council GIS Subcommittee, and served as Geographic Information Officer of the Information Technology Services Division in the Missouri Office of Administration.