I am a Research and Data Scientist in the D-Lab at UC Berkeley. My research focuses on the societal impacts of machine learning models, with an emphasis on understanding the norms and values elicited from large language models. I also lead and support a range of social science projects, spanning hate speech detection, education, and computational humanities. Lastly, I help provide D-Lab's core instructional and consulting services.
I previously obtained my PhD in the Physics Department at UC Berkeley, conducting research in...
Senior Data Science Fellow 2025-2026, Data Science Fellow 2024-2025
School of Information
Hey everyone, I’m Sohail - a 1st years Master’s student studying Data Science at the I-School. I am interested in the intersection between Computer Science, Data Science, and Cognitive Psychology and using these tools to understand, discover, and drive the development of assistive technologies.
I have experience building with brain computer Interfaces, developing distributed data processing applications, and am currently working on a large scale archival project aimed at preserving the history and memory of resistance movements through an embedding based...
Jose R. Aguilar is currently a PhD student in the Policy, Politics, and Leadership program at UC Berkeley’s School of Education. His research utilizes natural language processing, machine learning, and social network analysis to investigate how institutional discourse, algorithmic decision-making, and education policy influence postsecondary access and equity for marginalized students. Before Berkeley, Jose earned his M.A. in Urban Education from Loyola Marymount University and dual B.A./B.S.A. degrees in Government, Latina/o Studies, and Computer Science from the University of...
Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS)
I'm a PhD student in Berkeley AI Research (BAIR). My research interests include interpretability, robotics, computer vision, AI for the environment, and education, though the list keeps growing and probably needs some pruning. I'm a little nervous, but mostly hopeful about the future we're building and about the role data plays in shaping it.
Sam (he/him) is a Master of Information and Data Science graduate student at the School of Information, with experience in Cybersecurity and Network Programming. He holds a BS in Computer Systems Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and has previous experience in consulting at Deloitte. He has experience with Python, R, SQL, machine learning, data analytics, statistical analysis, and research design.
Seyi is a PhD Student in the School of Information and is a member of the Algorithmic Fairness and Opacity Group. Her research broadly explores the problem space of digital memory, specifically the social discourse surrounding algorithms, ethics, and engagement. Additionally, her work often explores histories of quantification and the politics of categories within emerging technologies. She uses a mixed methods approach to research; this includes ethnography, interviews, grounded theory, surveys, data analysis and values-based design. Here at the D-lab, she leads the qualitative...
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS)
Nikita Samarin is a doctoral student in Computer Science in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS) at the University of California, Berkeley advised by Serge Egelman and David Wagner. His research focuses on computer security and privacy from an interdisciplinary perspective, combining approaches from human-computer interaction, behavioral sciences, and legal studies. Samarin is a member of the Berkeley Lab for Usable and Experimental Security (BLUES) and an affiliated graduate researcher at the Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity (CLTC) and the...
Irene is a PhD student in City and Regional Planning. Her research interests lie at the intersection of urban geography, political science, and public health. In particular, she studies street vendors in Mexico City and how the spatiality and politics of their working conditions impact their access to healthy food. She strongly believes in connecting with other social scientists to share perspectives on how to use technology to acquire greater knowledge of social phenomena.
Frances Leung is a master’s student at UC Berkeley School of Information where she focuses her studies in information and data science. She has a keen interest in leveraging data-driven insights to better understand consumer behaviors and the world around us. In her professional work as a management consultant, she advises retailers and consumer businesses on digital transformation and creating web/mobile experiences that delight consumers through a human-centered approach. Frances holds a Master in Business Administration from York University, Schulich School...
Monica is a third-year Ph.D. candidate in the Environmental Science, Policy, and Management program. She uses computational tools to study the evolution and ecology of agricultural plant pathogens. Previously, she worked on a data science team at a biotech company in Boston.
