Dr. Shahumyan has over 14 years’ experience specialising in data analytics, GIS, geospatial technologies, spatiotemporal analysis, model integration, and web-based GIS applications. He graduated from Yerevan State University in Armenia with an Honours Master’s Degree in Applied Mathematics. Afterwards, he went on to complete a Doctoral thesis in 2001 by research specialising in statistical modelling at the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia.
From 2002 to 2008, Harut developed practical experience working with decision makers as he moved to consulting and worked as a GIS Expert in leading international organisations such as USAID, Emerging Markets Group, PA Consulting and Development Alternatives Inc. Concurrently he was also a Visiting Researcher at the University of Cambridge visiting three times between 2002 and 2005.
In 2008 Harut joined University College Dublin as a Post-Doctoral Researcher on the Urban Environment Project, where his research was focused on land use modelling, scenario simulation for regional development, and geospatial analyses informing decision makers in Ireland.
In 2010, Harut has further expanded his experience as a participant of the Marie Curie International Research Staff Exchange Scheme research programme Land Use Modelling and Analysis Network (LUMAN). Within the scope of this program, he visited New Zealand Landcare Research, where he became familiar with the New Zealand experience on integrated land use modelling and ways of effectively collaborating with stakeholders.
In 2014, Harut was awarded an EU FP7 Marie Curie International Fellowship and moved to the National Center of Smart Growth at the University of Maryland to implement his GeoSInPo project. Here his research integrated different state-of-the-art models including land use, transport, emissions and water quality models for the Washington-Baltimore Region. After successful completion of the outgoing phase of GeoSInPo in 2016, Harut has returned to UCD and currently developing a Spatial Decision Support System for the Greater Dublin Region.
Harut has over 50 publications, which includes 14 peer-reviewed papers in high profile international journals and 4 book chapters. His research interests are broad in scope but centre on the areas of GIScience, geospatial technologies, Spatial Decision Support Systems, Citizen Science, Smart Cities and Big Data.
