Marcus Boyd

Marcus Boyd, Ph.D., is the Director of the Geospatial Research Unit (GRU) at the Center for the Study of Terrorism and Reactions to Terrorism (START) at the University of Maryland, College Park. START is a consortium of researchers dedicated to improving the understanding of the human causes and consequences of terrorism, and to serve as a leading resource for homeland security policymakers and practitioners.

At START, Dr. Boyd and his team focus on the use of advanced geospatial methodologies for predictive and confirmatory modeling of illicit behaviors. Recently, under his leadership, the GRU compiled an innovative and comprehensive database of georeferenced entities who fund illicit activities, and use the resultant data to examine the interplay of space, illicit activities, and capital flows. His research has been featured in academic and applied literature, including a co-authored chapter in Nuclear Terrorism: Countering the Threat.  He has directed funded research for the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), Homeland Security’s Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO), and others.  Prior to joining the START team in 2014, Dr. Boyd has served as a geospatial analyst in support of the military and intelligence communities.

Dr. Boyd received his Bachelor’s of Arts in History from Virginia Commonwealth University. He earned a Master’s of Arts in Philosophy and Social Policy from The George Washington University.  He holds a Ph.D. in Earth Systems and Geoinformation Sciences at George Mason University.