Bio
Robert Soden is Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and the School of the Environment at the University of Toronto. His work draws on human-computer interaction and science and technology studies to evaluate and improve the data and information that experts and communities use to respond to climate change and disaster. Recent studies include design research to make severe weather risk communications more inclusive and usable, the data practices of grassroots climate justice activists, and methodological contributions towards the development of climate and disaster risk assessments that incorporate distributional, procedural and recognition equity. He leads the Toronto Climate Observatory.
He holds a PhD in Computer Science from University of Colorado Boulder and an MA in Natural Resources and Sustainable Development from American University. Prior to joining U of T, he was a postdoctoral research scientist at Columbia University and a visiting researcher at the Stanford Urban Resilience Initiative. His research is funded by diverse organizations including NSERC, SSHRC, the NSF, the Natural Hazards Center, and U of T’s Data Science Institute.