Florida State University has established the Spatial Data Science Center (SDSC) within its College of Social Sciences and Public Policy. The center aims to address complex societal issues through advanced spatial data analytics and interdisciplinary research.
The SDSC is led by A. Stewart Fotheringham, Krafft Professor of Spatial Data Science in the Department of Geography. Fotheringham, who joined FSU in spring 2025, is an elected member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and is recognized for his work in spatial analysis and geocomputation. He is known for developing Multiscale Geographically Weighted Regression (MGWR), a method widely used in public health and urban planning.
“The Spatial Data Science Center is committed to helping provide solutions to some of society’s most pressing problems through the power of spatial data analytics,” Fotheringham said. “FSU’s center contains some of the world’s most prominent experts in this field.”
The center uses technologies such as GPS and satellite-based remote sensing to study human behavior and societal patterns within geographic contexts. Research areas include public health, transportation, crime, poverty, and environmental issues.
Dean Tim Chapin of COSSPP described the launch as a significant step forward for the college’s engagement with big data. “These investments in spatial data science will yield powerful insights into the health of our people and planet, augment our educational programs to ensure students are trained for a modern workforce, and position the college to continue serving Florida and the U.S. as we develop solutions to our most pressing problems, including political polarization and community health disparities,” Chapin said. “The time for a major social science big data initiative at FSU is now, and Dr. Fotheringham and his team are perfectly placed to see the college and FSU become a leader in this field and industry.”
Fotheringham has previously founded five other research centers focused on spatial data science at institutions including the University of St. Andrews, Ireland’s National Centre for Geocomputation, and Arizona State University.
FSU’s SDSC differentiates itself by combining traditional statistical modeling with artificial intelligence (GeoAI) and machine learning tools to produce localized insights. According to Fotheringham: “A basic tenet of the SDSC is that to solve real-world problems, we must first understand their root causes. These issues often have an uneven geographic distribution — cancer rates, crime, house prices, traffic congestion, obesity, literacy rates — and understanding these patterns requires specialized spatial modeling and analysis.”
One area of expertise at SDSC is creating local statistical models tailored to specific policy or intervention needs.
Among its initial projects, SDSC is analyzing voting behavior across more than 200,000 precincts from recent U.S. presidential elections. “This is enormously exciting as we are able to uncover aspects of voting behavior at an unprecedented detailed spatial scale,” Fotheringham said. “This involves huge amounts of computer processing time and challenges in both analytics and visualization.”
Other initiatives include advancing explainable AI (XAI) methods in spatial analytics—developing algorithms that clarify how AI models reach conclusions—and optimizing MGWR so it can process massive datasets efficiently on standard computers.
The center encourages collaboration across university departments such as public health, transportation studies, sociology, political science, environmental science, urban planning, economics, among others. Fotheringham highlighted support from various university leaders including Provost James Clark; Vice President for Research Stacey Patterson; Dean Tim Chapin; and Department Chair Anne Chin.
“FSU has some fantastic talents in the area of spatial data science drawn from many disciplines, but I have to single out Geography,” he said. “The Geography Department has become a recognized powerhouse in spatial data analysis, and I’m excited to work alongside such dedicated faculty and graduate students.”
Graduate students play a central role at SDSC regardless of seniority or career stage; currently about 15 graduate students are involved with funding available for additional researchers.
Facilities under development include a dedicated graduate student space in Bellamy building along with meeting rooms equipped for visual displays.
The center invites collaboration from faculty members as well as government agencies, nonprofits, and corporate partners interested in areas such as spatial models/GeoAI/statistics; transportation analytics; voting analytics; urban analytics; environmental analytics; or health analytics.
Plans are underway for SDSC’s first campuswide forum scheduled for February 2026 that will bring together scholars from FSU along with external stakeholders.
More information about the Spatial Data Science Center can be found at cosspp.fsu.edu/sdsc or by contacting stewart.fotheringham@fsu.edu.
