Karen Siderelis

Karen Siderelis currently is a Research Scientist at the University of Arizona holding affiliations with the Schools of Government & Public Policy and Natural Resources & the Environment. She also has an appointment as Research Professor with Northern Arizona University's Department of Geography, Planning and Recreation.

For most of her professional career, Siderelis served in Federal and state government working in the field of information technology with emphasis on geospatial science and technology. She held a federal Senior Executive Service position as the Geospatial Information Officer for the U.S. Department of the Interior, overseeing the government-wide Federal Geographic Data Committee, the National Geospatial Advisory Committee and other national and international collaborative geospatial activities. Siderelis also served as Associate Director for Geospatial Information and Chief Information Officer for the US Geological Survey overseeing a broad portfolio of information and technology activities including IT policy, planning, and operations; geospatial programs; scientific publishing; and the USGS libraries and education program. She also was Director of Collaboration Technology at the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution, Director of the North Carolina Center for Geographic Information and Analysis, Vice Chair of the Mapping Science Committee of the National Academy of Sciences, and President of the National States Geographic Information Council.

At the University of Arizona, Siderelis is a co-investigator for a grant from the Office of Naval Research STEM Education and Workforce Program that established a series of courses (Geospatial Concepts and Defense Applications) designed to enhance spatial thinking abilities of ROTC students. As an adjunct at the School of Government and Public Policy, she teaches courses in the International Security Studies program and the Collaborative Governance Certificate Program. Siderelis’ academic interests include geospatial intelligence, geodesign, and GIS a means to develop spatial thinking abilities, advance STEM persistence and foster interdisciplinary collaboration.