Daniel Vallejo, a Master of Public Policy (MPP) student at Harris Public Policy, works with EPIC South Asia Director Anant Sudarshan to quantify the heat island effect in India. Vallejo is processing and analyzing data to determine the temperature changes due to urban heat islands and quantifying the different effects the changes in temperatures will have on economic and social variables in the country. Prior to his time at the University of Chicago, Vallejo worked as a civil engineer focused on rural reform in Colombia, most recently as a water specialist with Fundación Grupo Argos.
“The DRW fellowship will highly increase my data analytics capacity. I have been learning how to analyze and process spatial data, not only for heat measurements but for many other purposes. This experience has opened the door to a sector in which I had an interest in working. I have always had a passion for environmental resources and impacts but having now the tools to do large-scale impact analysis will permit me to amplify the fields I will be capable of working on.”