James Cheshire: Director UCL Social Data Institute

1. What is your role and what does it involve? 

Academics like to collect long and complicated job titles and I currently have three: Professor of Geographic Information and Cartography in the UCL Department of Geography; Deputy Director of the SDRUK Geographic Data Service (GeoDS); Director of the UCL Social Data Institute (SODA). Each represents a different mode in my day-to-day work activities. In professor mode, I write books (most recently The Library of Lost Maps) and research papers, supervise PhD students and support with teaching. In GeoDS mode, I help to run a national data service that offers innovative datasets to thousands of researchers across academia, government and the private sector. Finally in SODA mode, I help to deliver a programme of activity to keep the Faculty of Social and Historical Sciences at the forefront of data-led developments in both teaching and research.   

2. How long have you been at UCL and what was your previous role? 

I have been at UCL for the entirety of my career! After completing an BSc in Physical Geography at the University of Southampton in June 2008, I joined UCL as a PhD student in GIScience in the September. I completed my PhD in August 2011 and was fortunate to land a lectureship at the UCL Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis, which was the perfect start for me as it was such a great collaborative environment for a young academic. I’ve always seen myself as a “geographer” so when the chance came to become a lecturer in the UCL Department of Geography, I took it in 2014 and have been there ever since!   

3. What working achievement or initiative are you most proud of?

Creating and publishing books is what gives me the greatest sense of achievement and it’s a real privilege to be able to share the stories within them to broader audiences. When I look at the work I have done at UCL, I feel immensely proud of what SODA, and the initiatives that came before, have delivered, particularly in the education we have been able to offer. We graduate students who are head and shoulders above their peers in their ability to analyse and —  crucially — communicate insights from complex datasets. It has taken tremendous energy from tens of colleagues to get to this point, and I think we don’t step back enough and appreciate what impact this has had on our students.  

4. Tell us about a project you are working on now which is top of your to-do list?

”Data After Dark” is a project about night workers in London. Funding ended for it last year, but it continues to generate interest and impacts so I am keen to keep the momentum going especially as night workers are an overlooked group who are crucial to keeping the economy running. 

5. How might colleagues collaborate with you or support your work?

There are lots of activities we welcome collaborators for, but the one we are most keen to share with colleagues is our work around geospatial engagement. We want UCL (across research and professional services) to make a greater use of geographic data and analysis and have resources to do this. So if this is something that appeals get in touch.  

6. What’s the best sandwich filling? 

Tuna mayo. 

7. What’s the best album of all time? 

I like live albums and for me it’s a toss up between Fleetwood Mac’s “Live in Boston” (2004) and AC/DCs “Live at River Plate” (2012). 

8. Cats or dogs? 

Dogs!!