Tarek Rashed

About Me

In January 2024, I joined Washington College as the Director of the GIS Program at the Center of Environment and Society, bringing over 30 years of experience in geographic information science and technologies (GIS&T). My career has been characterized by academic, consulting, and professional engagements that revolve around the development of GIS&T and systems thinking technical solutions and frameworks, and their applications across diverse sectors, including disaster risk reduction, health, climate change, community resilience, digital transformation, urban and rural development, supply-chain management, homeland security, sustainable agriculture, and women's empowerment.

Previously, I have held administrative roles as the Director of Geoinformatics at IUPUI, CSA Associate Director at the University of Oklahoma, and President of Geospatial Applied Research Expert House LLC. I have also held former faculty positions at various capacities at the University of Redlands, University of Oklahoma, University of Southern California, and Amrita University (India). My research and consulting portfolio covers over US$400 million of funding in diverse domains and industries, including projects funded by NSF, NASA, EPA, FEMA, USTDA, World Bank, FAO, UNDRR, UNEP, UNDP, and UCGIS in over 50 countries in North, Central, and South Americas, Europe, Middle East, South Asia, Small Islands Development States, Latin America, and Africa.

My portfolio reflects diverse volunteer roles in global initiatives, including founding the SIDS Innovative Solutions Forum, leading the Global Summit for UNESCO Gender-Related Chairs and Networks, and contributing to India's UNESCO Chair in Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality. I also served as Oklahoma's State Delegate at the National States of Geographic Information Council and held various leadership positions in the University Consortium for Geographic Information Science and the ASPRS Central Region.

As an academic, my contributions include numerous publications in leading journals and the editorship of a textbook in urban remote sensing. My research and professional achievements have garnered recognition, notably the prestigious Gilbert White's Award from the Association of American Geographers. I have also served as My educational journey, with degrees in architecture engineering, computation, disaster management, and geography, reflects my commitment to an interdisciplinary approach in both my teaching and professional work.

Education

• Ph.D. in Geography, Joint Doctoral Program of the University of California at Santa Barbara and San Diego State University, 2003
• Post Graduate Diploma in Disaster Management, University of Geneva, 2000
• MS in Computation, University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, 1998
• BS in Architectural Engineering, University of Assiut, 1993

Selected Publications

Google Scholar	https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=fdUDMyUAAAAJ&hl=en
Scopus	https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=7801656540

Selected Projects and Research Grants

• Feb 2023 – Dec 2023: Team Lead, Consultancy Services for developing a comprehensive risk atlas and risk management strategy and an integrated flood risk management plan for Blantyre City, Malawi, NIRAS International Consulting (project funded by the World Bank).
• April 2023- May 2023: G20 Policy Delegate and Consultant for the C20's workgroups, Government of India (via Amrita University).
• Dec 2022 – Sep 2023: Digital Government Expert and Team Lead for GIS Building Block, GovStack, International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
• Jun 2021 – Nov 2022: International Consultant for Innovation and Digitalization, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
• Nov 2020 – Oct 2022: International GIS, Disaster Data and Risk Reduction Consultant, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
• May 2021 – Aug 2021: International Technology Strategist and Digitalization Consultant, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).
• Apr 2021 - Present: Co-Principal Investigator, UK’s Royal Academy of Engineering.
• Aug 2019 – Sep 2019: Consultant, The Resource Foundation, USA.
• Jan 2017 – Dec 2017: Co-Investigator and Technical Lead, Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves: 2017 Interim Report (Mitigation Saves II), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), USA.
• Dec 2016 – Nov 2017: Principal Investigator, Indiana Flood Mitigation Planning (IFMP) platform, Indiana, USA.
• Nov 2016 – Nov 2017: Co-Investigator, South Carolina Multi-Hazards Mitigation Platform, South Carolina, USA.
• Mar 2016 – Nov 2017: Project Director, Multi-hazard Mitigation Planning in Indiana, USA.
• Mar 2016 – Dec 2017: Director of Geoinformatics, Polis Center, Indiana University Purdue University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
• Jan 2008 – Jul 2009: Senior GIS & Business Development Manager, Esri Northeast Africa, Middle East.
• Jan 2012 – Dec 2013: Geospatial Technology Consultant, The World Bank, Croatia.
• Jan 2012 – Feb 2016: Principal Investigator, Integrated Flood Risk Management System (iFRMS), GSAREH, USA.
• Jan 2013 – Feb 2016: Principal Investigator, Geospatial Intelligence Technology Bundle (GITB), GSAREH, USA.
• Jun 2014 – May 2015: Project Manager, GIS Business Process Modeling, Madinah Development Authority, Saudi Arabia.
• Sep 2013 – Jun 2014: Project Manager, Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) for the Holy City of Madinah, Madinah Development Authority, Saudi Arabia.
• Sep 2013 – Apr 2014: Project Manager, Decision Support Center for Sustainable Development and Environmental Crises, Kuwait.
• Apr 2013 – Sep 2013: Project Manager, Planning Support System for the Medina Development Agency, Madinah Development Authority, Saudi Arabia.
• Mar 2011 – Dec 2013: Technical Lead, Integrated Emergency Medical Services, Croatia.
• Mar 2011 – Dec 2013: Technical Lead, Country Wide Health Business Intelligence System, Croatia.
• July 2011 – Sep 2011: Principal Investigator, GIS Public Health Training to the City of Austin, TX, USA.
• Aug 2010 – Dec 2010: Principal Investigator, Cancer Geographic Awareness in the USA, National Cancer Institute, USA.
• Sep 2009 – May 2010: Senior Research Scientist, Predictive Indicators of Social Radicalism in Afghanistan, Department of Defense, USA.
• Feb 2009 – Jul 2009: Project Manager, Unified Geospatial Infrastructure for Qatar Ministry of Interior, Qatar.
• May 2008 – Dec 2008: Principal Investigator, A Landownership Management Tool, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, USA.
• Jan 2007 – Dec 2008: Principal Investigator, Design and Implementation of a Public Participatory Geospatial Web Portal, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, USA.
• Aug 2006 – Apr 2007: Principal Investigator, Oklahoma Capital Improvement Program (CIP) GIS Project, Oklahoma Department of Commerce, USA.
• Dec 2005 – Apr 2006: Principal Investigator, Oklahoma Wildlife Digital Atlas, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, USA.
• Dec 2005 – Jul 2006: Principal Investigator, SPACE Training Program, National Science Foundation, USA.