Hi, I’m Dillon. I am currently Associate Professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Systems at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and have lived in Baltimore city since 2017.
For the academic year 2024-2025, I am Professeur invité (Visiting Professor) at the Centre Urbanisation Culture Société at the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique in Montréal.
There’s just too much spam for a contact form, so the best way to get a hold of me is through email (dillon m umbc dot edu).
I’ve always been interested in the different ways people approach livelihoods, with particular interests in the urban fabric, the use and development of technology, and the environment. I’ve lived in 10 cities across 4 countries and 3 continents. Walking, running, or riding a bike through a city is by far one of my favorite activities.
My path toward academia was circuit-ous (ha!). During high school, I got an opportunity to work on the software side of the Microsoft Keyboards and Mice team in Redmond, Washington where I got my first formal training in software development and testing. After high school, I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Georgia taking a brief break to work on Microsoft’s .NET Framework in Dublin, Ireland. I then moved to Austin, Texas and worked on the eCommerce Team at National Instruments. In 2009, I moved with my wife to Portland, Oregon to begin graduate school in Urban Studies & Planning at Portland State University while also taking classes in Geography and Sociology. I also worked as a Research Associate at City Observatory. I graduated in 2017 with a PhD in Urban Studies & Planning and a Graduate Certificate in GIS.
And it’s Mah-moo-dee. Think of how you start to say “map” (rather than mop / MAUP) when you say “Mah.” There’s no hard “k” sound in the name.