Natalie Ayers

Welcome! I’m a computational social scientist finishing my PhD at Harvard University’s Department of Government. My work spans academic research and applied data science for humanitarian and development organizations, united by a focus on conflict, post-conflict recovery, and crisis response. On the applied side, I’ve worked with organizations including CrisisReady, CEGA, the World Bank, and UNU-WIDER to build trainings, tools, and analyses for disaster response and conflict assessment.

My PhD research uses computational methods — machine learning, geospatial analysis, statistical modeling, and novel data creation — to study political violence and its aftermath. Some current projects include examining post-conflict recovery in Iraq using satellite imagery, network and text analysis of Ancient Greek conflict and democracy, a Bayesian machine learning approach to understanding authoritarianism in the Middle East, and a review of satellite imagery methods for conflict and development research, evaluating their reliability and practical use for researchers and practitioners.

Before graduate school, I worked in data consulting for at Keyrus USA, then completed a Master’s in Computational Analysis and Public Policy at the University of Chicago’s Harris School with a certificate in Global Conflict Studies. I hold a BA from Kenyon College where I studied Classics and Statistics.

Current Role

PhD Candidate at Harvard University Department of Government (expected May 2027)

Contact

Email: natalieayers@g.harvard.edu