Ryan Burns

About Ryan Burns

When I was 19 years old a senior manager at the GIS company Esri told me,\"You are going places.\" She was right, both figuratively and literally. But across all the places my work has taken me, what remains constant is my passion for designing and managing responsible digital systems that promote social equity. Bridging the government, non-profit, community association, and healthcare sectors, I turn a critical eye to data governance, AI policy, smart cities, and other digital infrastructures, in order to put them more squarely into public service.*RECENT PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES*-Lecturer, University of Washington Bothell • Supervised curriculum related to data and spatial analysis, digital infrastructures, tech collaboration, and community-led mapping-Associate Professor, University of Calgary • Orchestrated large teams on data governance and digital transformation projects with $1.25+ million funding. • Co-chaired the Data Hubs Task Force for Alberta’s Non-profit Data Strategy & led the City of Calgary’s open data transformation initiative, ensuring a richer provincial IT ecosystem. • Founded & directed the YYC Data Collective, an open-source CKAN platform enabling civil society groups to share & analyze critical data, leading to over 300 datasets Science & Technology Policy Fellow, National Science Foundation’s National AI Institutes • Designed and implemented federal AI policy, creating 4 new funding programs to direct research priorities. • Directed programs emphasizing AI transparency, ethical use, and strategic alignment with national priorities. • Organized high-profile events like NSF “Hill Day” in the Senate Office Building and the Summit for AI Leadership conference.*ACCOLADES* Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. Global Ambassador for the Global Council of Responsible AI. International Geographical Union\'s Early Career Award. Eastern Kentucky University Alumni Association\'s Professional Achievement Award. I have presented my academic research in numerous domestic and international conferences, published several peer-reviewed articles as well as policy reports, and organized special journal issues (Professional Geographer, ACME, Computational Culture, GeoJournal) on new geographic technologies. Prior to my work in Calgary I taught at Temple University and University of Washington - the latter where I earned my PhD (2015). I earned my M.S. from San Diego State University (2009) and honors B.A.(Magna Cum Laude) at Eastern Kentucky University (2006), each in geography.

Experience

1. Lecturer

   University Of Washington Bothell

   Sep 2024 — Present · Seattle, WA, US

Education

• San Diego State University

  Master of Science (MS), Geographic Information Science and Cartography

  2006 — 2008

• University of Washington

  Ph.D., Geography

  2009 — 2015

• Eastern Kentucky University

  B.A., Geography (GIS)

  2001 — 2006