Rayid Ghani

Rayid Ghani is a distinguished career professor in the Machine Learning Department and the Heinz College of Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University, focused on developing and using AI, machine learning, and data science to help tackle extensive public policy and societal challenges fairly and equitably. Among other areas, Rayid works with governments and nonprofits in policy areas such as health, criminal justice, education, public safety, economic development, and urban infrastructure. Rayid is also passionate about teaching practical data science and started the Data Science for Social Good Fellowship, which trains computer scientists, statisticians, and social scientists from around the world to work on data science problems with social impact.Before joining Carnegie Mellon University, Rayid was the founding director of the Center for Data Science and Public Policy, a research associate professor in computer science, and a senior fellow at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago. Previously, Rayid was the chief scientist of the Obama 2012 election campaign, where he focused on data, analytics, and technology to target and influence voters, donors, and volunteers. Rayid is also a co-founder of the Coleridge Initiative, a not-for-profit organization working with governments to ensure the effective use of data for public decision-making.In his spare time, Rayid obsesses over everything coffee-related and works with nonprofits to help them with their data, analytics, digital efforts, and strategy.