Amanda Ford

Amanda Ford is an astronomer-turned-data scientist. Her astrophysics work combined observations from the Hubble Space Telescope with high-resolution computer simulations to better understand galaxy evolution. She has spent the past 10 years as a data scientist in Silicon Valley, working at various startups and as tech lead at Google Maps. Most recently, she served as the Data Program Manager for the San Francisco Mayor's Office of Innovation, using machine learning and modeling to improve homelessness services and help move people into stable care and housing. Her expertise is in wrangling messy, real-world data to build useful products and systems.

• Simulations

• Machine Learning

• Making useful gains from messy, real-world data

• Public health and housing

• Civic engagement

• Social and economic justice

• MFA, Creative Writing, University of San Francisco (expected 2027)

• PhD, Astronomy, University of Arizona (2014)

• BA, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Harvard College (2001)