Open Spatial Lab

The Open Spatial Lab (OSL) at the UChicago Data Science Institute creates open source tools and analyses to solve problems using geospatial data science. OSL’s mission is to diversify perspectives included in spatial data science practice and reach a broader audience through more accessible tools for data exploration, management, and visualization. The Lab works with community partners locally and across the U.S. to understand needs and uses to activate data for community and policy decision support.

The Open Spatial Lab works in partnership with the Center for Spatial Data Science at University of Chicago.

Team

Susan Paykin is the Associate Director, Community-Centered Data Science at the DSI, where she leads social impact and strategic partnership initiatives across the organization’s three pillars of research, education, and engagement. She is also the Program Lead of the Open Spatial Lab where she leads geospatial data science projects and partner engagement. Susan was previously the Research Manager at the Center for Spatial Data Science at UChicago and has served in leadership roles for environmental and social impact organizations. She holds a Master in Public Policy (M.P.P) with a concentration in policy analysis from the Harris School of Public Policy at University of Chicago and a B.A. from Brandeis University.

Dylan Halpern is the Technical Lead for the Open Spatial Lab at the Data Science Institute. He builds tools with social impact partner organizations focused on low-code and no-code geospatial data science and visualization. His work includes open source software engineering, product management and design, and stakeholder engagement. Previous work includes engineering and visualization roles with the Center for Spatial Data Science and Healthy Regions and Policies Lab (UChicago), Sensible City Lab (MIT), and research as a Fulbright Scholar in Brazil. Dylan holds a Masters in City Planning from MIT and a BFA in Graphic Design from Virginia Commonwealth University.