AI Is the New Electricity!

I study humans—politically, biomedically, and environmentally—using AI tools and spirit! But political data since is my cup of tea!

I believe AI is bringing us back to Plato’s Academy by breaking down walls between specialized departments, enabling us to holistically address humanity’s most profound questions.

We are living through a revolutionary transformation in how humans learn and share knowledge, driven by the power and spirit of AI! As Andrew Ng aptly put it, "AI is the new electricity!"

In the age of AI, the convergence of online learning platforms, and communities—from YouTube to edX and Coursera—with large language models and academic networks has democratized access to cutting-edge research and education. This ecosystem creates unprecedented opportunities for passionate scholars with strong quantitative skills to both master and advance new fields via responsible AI, and its core; Deep Learning. My research agenda embraces this dynamic landscape, learning deep via E-learning and communities to contribute across multiple disciplines.

I believe that responsible AI development is key to ensuring this transformative technology benefits society in both the short and long term. While legal systems and governments have not kept pace with AI progress, we as scholars who harness this power can and must keep ethical considerations at the forefront of our consciousness while developing AI and teaching its applications.

Back to Plato's Academy

I began my coding journey and algorithm* studies at one of the "National Organization for Development of Exceptional Talents" schools in 2005. At that time, accessible computing power, coding IDEs, and educational resources were boring and limited. (Floppy disks were just 360K - Btw, Boeing 747s still received critical updates via floppy disks.) Today's AI and online platforms are fascinating in how they enable accelerated learning and development. These days, as my own journey demonstrates, anyone with passion, an internet connection, and a solid math foundation can efficiently learn deep learning and other stories—even through top MIT courses. The accessibility of AI education today exemplifies the democratization of learning, a stark contrast to the limited resources available when I first started coding.

With a strong foundation in mathematics and physics, I leverage my quantitative skills and passion to optimize deep learning architectures and algorithms to advance [political] science. I love what I'm doing! :)

I am ABD (All But Dissertation), currently completing my PhD in Political Science with a specialization in Data Science while simultaneously pursuing a Master's in Data Science (computer science track). My dissertation, titled "Three Essays in AI and Political Behavior," applies and optimizes traditional machine learning and different deep learning architectures to advance political behavior research.

I have been teaching physics, stat, algebra*, and calculus since 2004. These days I am passionate about teaching and collaborating with the Institute for Data Science and Big Data to introduce AI and teach it effectively to social science, and data science students during a 10-day intensive program.

This collaboration builds on my extensive teaching experience, including serving as a teaching assistant for over fourteen courses in computational political science, coding, and data science. I also previously led a specialized module on non-linear models at the Institute. Building on this foundation, I will now teach modules on Generalized Additive Models and applied artificial intelligence in social science.

From Floppy Disks to AI: The Democratization of Education

Plato's Protagorus & the Drama of the Academy

Raphael / (1509–1511)

Teaching Math, AI and None-linear Methods

International Physicists' Tournament - Warsaw 2015

* The word algorithm originates from the Persian mathematician Al-Khwarizmi, whose groundbreaking work in mathematics laid the foundation for modern computational methods. His book on algebra, Kitab al-Mukhtasar fi Hisab al-Jabr wal-Muqabala, was so influential that the term algebra itself is derived from its title. Today, all computer science and artificial intelligence systems are fundamentally built upon algorithms and algebra, reflecting his lasting impact on the field.

Political Data Science

My training as a methodologist has been deeply influenced by my experience as a data editor and editorial assistant at Political Analysis, edited by Prof. Jeff Gill, my chair, and recognized as "the #1 impact factor journal in political science worldwide."

Dissertation Project

My dissertation explores innovative uses of artificial intelligence in political behavior research. It introduces a neural network-based method for imputing missing data, generating synthetic datasets that preserve original statistical properties and outperform traditional approaches like MICE. Additionally, I propose a novel strategy for cross-dataset imputation, leveraging shared variables in large-N surveys to enrich datasets with previously unavailable information.

PoliticalAnalysis

Working with Jeff Gill, my chair and mentor, has been transformative in shaping my career. As the Data Editor and internal reviewer for Political Analysis, the leading journal at the intersection of AI and political science, I have witnessed the immense potential of AI to revolutionize political science research. This role has also underscored the critical importance of responsible AI practices and reproducibility to ensure transparency, equity, and reliability in advancing the discipline. It has solidified my commitment to fostering innovative and ethical approaches in this rapidly evolving field.

Contact Information

Get in touch to discuss political data science, AI applications, and innovative methodologies in survey data analysis or public opinion research.

Connect

Center for Data Science, American University

Inquiry

aa6718a@american.edu