• What is so fascinating about your research area?

As a spatial data scientist specializing in location privacy, my research focuses on developing new methods for both revealing and protecting sensitive location data, while also considering the ethical implications of these methods. As ubiquitous sensor technologies and social media engagement increasingly capture details of our physical lives, concerns about how these data are used, by whom, and its potential harm are growing. My work aims to highlight the unique challenges and possibilities associated with the exposure of personal location data. By doing so, it has the potential to influence public policy, education, and societal acceptance regarding what is considered reasonable privacy.

• Which central message should your students remember?

 Think critically about everything you encounter, whether you read, see, or hear it. In today’s highly charged political climate, where everyone has a platform and generative AI is disrupting traditional norms, it's crucial for the next generation of scientists, researchers, policymakers, and citizens to engage in critical thinking about the information they consume. As spatial data scientists, my colleagues and I have a particular responsibility to advance critical “spatial” thinking. We must consider how geographic content can be used and manipulated, and we need to educate students on how geographic information can also validate and verify facts.
 

• Why did you decide to do research and teach at our Faculty?

I strongly believe that collaboration is essential to conducting impactful, enduring research. The University of Vienna is renowned in my specific area of study, which is why I jumped at the opportunity to work alongside leading experts in my field on various topics related to privacy. From a teaching standpoint, engaging with students from diverse backgrounds and perspectives not only enhances my instructional skills but also enriches my own learning. I am eager to share my expertise in location privacy and spatial data science with the students at the University of Vienna.

• Which three publications characterise your work?

- McKenzie, G., & Zhang, H. (2023). Platial k-Anonymity: Improving Location Anonymity Through Temporal Popularity Signatures. In 12th International Conference on Geographic Information Science (GIScience 2023). Schloss-Dagstuhl-Leibniz Zentrum für Informatik.

- McKenzie, G., & Mwenda, K. (2021). Identifying regional variation in place visit behavior during a global pandemic. Journal of Spatial Information Science, (23), 95-124.

- McKenzie, G. (2020). Urban mobility in the sharing economy: A spatiotemporal comparison of shared mobility services. Computers, Environment and Urban Systems, 79, 101418.

Thank you & welcome to our Faculty!

About the Person

• Grant McKenzie is an associate professor of spatial data science in the Department of Geography at McGill University. At McGill, Grant leads the Platial Analysis Lab, an interdisciplinary research group that works at the intersection of information science and behavioral geography. Much of Grant's work examines how human activity patterns vary within and between local regions and global communities. This has driven his applied interests geoprivacy and new mobility services as well as the broader role that geographic information science plays at the intersection of information technologies and society. Outside of academia, Grant has worked as a data scientist and software developer for a range of NGOs and leading technology companies.
• Department and host: Department of Geography and Regional Research / Ass.-Prof Dr. Ourania Kounadi
• Course in the summer term 2024: PS Location Privacy
• Homepage: https://www.grantmckenzie.com/