Dean Berkowitz

Data Project manager

Dean Berkowitz is Data Project Manager at the Smart Surfaces Coalition, where he leads the development of the Benefit-Cost Analysis Tool (BCAT) and Decision Support Tool (DST) for domestic and international projects. These platforms integrate high-resolution data on land cover, heat, stormwater, energy, and health to help cities conduct risk assessments, map priority areas, analyze policy scenarios, and evaluate the lifecycle costs and benefits of Smart Surfaces implementation.

In this role, Dean oversees the research, data workflows, and product development strategy behind these tools, ensuring they are scientifically rigorous, seamlessly integrated, and accessible for policymakers. His work spans guiding technical methods, aligning partners across disciplines, and shaping user experience so complex analysis can translate into practical, city-scale action.

With a background in GIS, data science, and ecology, Dean brings a spatial lens to his work. Before joining SSC, he served as Project Lead with NASA’s DEVELOP Program in Idaho, applying satellite data to wildfire smoke forecasting, and as a Remote Sensing Analyst with NASA DEVELOP in North Carolina, where he built a composite moisture index to support drought and flood risk management.

He holds a B.A. in Geography from the University of California, Berkeley, where he researched vascular plant biodiversity hotspots in the Mojave Desert to inform conservation priorities in the context of renewable energy development.