Jennings Anderson PhD

Welcome to my node on the net. I'm a Geospatial Information Scientist researching all things OpenStreetMap.

I build full-stack data analysis systems that explore the history and evolution of both the map and the rapidly growing community that collectively maintains the largest free, and open geographic database in the world. I publish summaries of my work on my OSM Diary.

This work started in 2013, originally building new systems to support Crisis Informatics research on the digital convergence of volunteers producing geographic information in support of disaster response and humanitarian aid (Disaster Mapping). I completed my PhD in 2019 in computer science, working with Professors Leysia Palen and Ken Anderson in Project EPIC—a pioneering research lab in the crisis informatics domain. Other research I conducted at The University of Colorado Boulder included collecting and analyzing massive quantities of geo-referenced tweets posted during disasters to learn about protective decision-making practices on social media.

Additionally, I build large-scale Twitter data analysis systems as a Postdoc at CU Boulder. This work is in quick-response to the mis- and disinformation on social media regarding the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic. This work is now being written about in our new blog, A Post-Mortem of @realDonaldTrump.

This page contains research highlights below. See my CV for a complete listing, or email me at to get in touch.