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Satej Soman
data + policy
Satej Soman is a PhD student at the UC Berkeley School of Information and a Doctoral Fellow at the Global Policy Lab.2 His research focuses on using remotely-sensed data, such as satellite imagery and digital traces, along with statistical and computational techniques to study global trends in inequality, urbanization, and the built environment.1
Research Interests and Contributions
Soman's work is broadly aimed at closing the gap between data- and prediction-driven policy insights and actual outcomes on the ground.1 His research has been supported by several prestigious organizations, including:
- The World Bank
- The National Science Foundation (through the Blum Center for Developing Economies)
- The Center for Effective Global Action
- The Centre for Economic Policy Research
- The Global Policy Laboratory1
Academic Background
Soman's educational background includes:
- PhD student at UC Berkeley School of Information (current)
- Master's degree in Computational Analysis and Public Policy from the Harris School at the University of Chicago
- Undergraduate degree in Materials Science and Electrical Engineering from UC Berkeley1
Professional Experience
Before pursuing his doctoral studies, Soman gained diverse professional experience:
- Advised governments in South and Southeast Asia on their COVID-19 pandemic response12
- Designed participatory urban planning tools for informal settlement activists in Western and Sub-Saharan Africa
- Led engineering teams building data management platforms for clients in cybersecurity, insurance, healthcare, and aviation
- Worked at a startup developing gesture-based interfaces using computer vision techniques1
Research Focus
At the UC Berkeley School of Information, Soman's research areas include:
- Development studies
- Policy prediction problems
- Geospatial analysis
- Machine learning
- Data science
- Urban systems45
Soman's work has contributed to important public health research, including assessing the burden of COVID-19 in developing countries through systematic review, meta-analysis, and public policy implications.3
