Karl Benedict

Dr Karl Benedict has worked since 1986 in parallel tracks of information management, geospatial information technology and archaeology. He is a Professor in the College of University Libraries & Learning Sciences and serves as the Director of the Research Data Services (RDS) and as the Director of Information Technology Services (ITS). His previous experience includes fifteen years at the Earth Data Analysis Center at the University of New Mexico (including five years as the EDAC Director), for the US Forest Service, National Park Service, and in the private sector conducting archaeological research, developing geospatial databases, performing geospatial and statistical analyses, and developing web-based information delivery applications. In these positions he has developed and managed the development of information technology and data management capacity in support of multiple research and application domains including public health, resource management, hydro-climate research, atmospheric modeling, disaster planning and mitigation, and renewable energy research.

In his role as the Director of RDS he works with his team to support effective research data management by researchers at UNM through instruction, training, consultation, and infrastructure support. As Director of ITS he manages a team of skilled staff that develop and support all of the IT capabilities for the College, including multiple public facing online resources, collaboration tools, critical systems and network infrastructure, and all public-facing, staff, and faculty desktop and laptop computers. His current research foci include the development of open standards-based interoperable data management workflows and infrastructure in support of diverse research projects and streamlining the integration of research data products into long-term preservation systems to maximize the ongoing value of those data beyond the projects in which they are collected or generated.