Data scientists are involved in a wide array of domains, everything from healthcare to cybersecurity to cosmology. Megan Price and her colleagues at the Human Rights Data Analysis Group (HRDAG), however, are using data science to help bring human rights abusers to justice.
The nonpartisan group played a key role in the case of Edgar Fernando García, a 26-year-old engineering student and labor activist who disappeared during Guatemala’s brutal civil war. Price, the executive director of HRDAG, says the investigation took years, but their work led to the conviction of two officers who kidnapped Garcia and the former police chief who bore command responsibility for the crime. “It was one of the most satisfying projects that I’ve worked on,” she says. Price discussed the case in more detail as well as other cases she’s worked on over the years and the role data science played in an interview recorded for the Women in Data Science podcast recorded at Stanford University.
For a recent project in Syria, Price’s group used statistical modeling and found information previously unobserved by local groups tracking the damage caused by the war. Similarly, in Mexico, she expects HRDAG to gain a better understanding of in-country violence by building a machine learning model to predict counties with a higher probability of undiscovered graves.
Price hopes that in the future human rights and advocacy organizations will have their own in-house data scientists to further combat social injustices around the world, and she believes that data science will continue to play an important role in the field. She advises young people entering the field of data science and social change to learn a programming language, pick an editor and find mentors and cheerleaders to help them along the way.
The Power of Linguistics in Large Language Models and AI
Applying topological data analysis and geometry-based ML
Using Curiosity, Mentorship, and Education to Build a Career
Fighting Crypto Crime with Data Science
Using Storytelling to Communicate with Stakeholders
Data Science Leadership: Creating Meaningful Impact
Kate Kolich on Mentorship, Data Ethics, and Leadership
Breaking Barriers to Entry & Success for Women in Tech with Telle Whitney
Srujana Kaddevarmuth | Opening New Realms of Data Science and AI
Veronica Edwards | The Bridge Between Dance and Data Science
Jane Lauder | Using Data Science to Create Aspirational Products
Priya Donti | Using AI to Fight the Climate Crisis
Lesly Zerna | Teaching and learning data science in Latin America (Spanish)
Leda Braga | Applying data science to investment strategies
Jessica Bohórquez | Using AI for leak detection in water pipelines (Spanish)
Karolina Urbanska | Using data science to study human behavior
Welcoming our new podcast co-host, Cindy Orozco
Tahu Kukutai | Advocating for indigenous data sovereignty
Allison Koenecke | Researching algorithmic fairness and causal inference in public health
Karina Edmonds | Building bridges between business and academia
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The No-Frills Teacher Podcast
Heal, Survive & Thrive!
Summarize | رادیو سامرایز
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
The Mel Robbins Podcast