PhD Candidate in Political Science | MS Candidate in Data Science

Ali Amini is a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science at the School of Public Affairs and an M.S. candidate in Data Science in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at American University in Washington, D.C. As a student of social science, with a background in mathematics, he uses frontier AI and a range of computer science tools, from classical machine learning to newer algorithms, to understand and hopefully help solve a tiny fraction of human problems in the social sciences and in interdisciplinary projects related to human health and the environment.

Working with Political Analysis | Cambridge Core as a data editor and member of the editorial team while simultaneously pursuing a master's in data science and a Ph.D. in political science during his formative doctoral years deepened his appreciation for the computational revolution transforming social science. This experience was later enriched through contributions to NIH, NSF, and NASA-funded research projects, where he participated in grant writing and co-authored papers bridging computational methods with questions of public health, environmental sustainability, and social behavior. These collaborations reinforced his conviction that the most pressing challenges facing humanity require not only technical sophistication but also deep interdisciplinary dialogue between the natural sciences, social sciences, and emerging AI technologies.

His dissertation, Three Essays on AI and Political Behavior, employs cutting-edge AI tools and computational methods to advance political science methodology. Ali's dissertation committee is evenly represented by famous political behaviorist and methodologist. Professor David Barker (Chair) and Professor Jan Leighley, both current or former NSF program directors, represent the political behavior side, while Professors Jeff Gill and Ryan Moore bring methodological expertise. His work on applying computer science paradigms to survey research earned him the Burns “Bud” Roper Fellow Award from the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) in 2025.

His scholarship has been presented in APSA, APPOR, MPSA, SPSA, Data Science Frontiers (NYU) and published in prestigious outlets including Nature journals as well as peer-reviewed edited volumes with Springer, Elsevier and World Scientific. From international physics tournaments (IPT) in Warsaw to the UN Charter grounds in Hiroshima, from chairing and presenting in climate change panels in Puerto Rico to exploring youth civic engagement at Lugano’s MEM summer summit, to presenting cutting-edge generative AI at NYU’s Data Science Frontiers, a singular truth emerged for him: we are here for humanity. Driven by this unique lived transcending philosophy, he seeks to harness artificial intelligence not as an end, but as a lens to deepen our understanding and protection of human life on Earth. His work reflects a philosophy where academic efforts pursue truth in service of humanity, bridging disciplines in service of our shared human story.