Brian O’Donnell hails from Vienna, Virginia. He completed his Bachelor of Arts in cultural studies and government with a focus on foreign aid systems at the College of William and Mary. Brian also spent a semester abroad in Cape Town, South Africa to further his research and studies. After graduating, he began working as an AidData Project Manager, leading data collection projects ranging from biodiversity conservation to global nutrition, while also prototyping a web-based methodology to track Chinese development finance in Africa. Brian went on to receive his master’s degree in public affairs from the University of Texas-Austin where he examined the information policies that influence bureaucratic decisions. During his graduate studies, he interviewed donor officials on aid management in Kathmandu, designed a randomized survey on interpretation of Uganda health maps and interned with USAID’s Africa Bureau in Washington DC. His interests include ICT4D, PGIS, the USMNT, acronyms, breakfast tacos and relaxing.