Joshua Blumenstock

Joshua Blumenstock is a Chancellor's Associate Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, holding joint appointments at the School of Information and Goldman School of Public Policy. He co-directs the Global Opportunity Lab and Center for Effective Global Action, focusing on leveraging machine learning and empirical economics to address challenges faced by vulnerable populations.

• Ph.D. in Information Science and M.A. in Economics from UC Berkeley
• B.A. in Computer Science and Physics from Wesleyan University

His research spans technology for developing regions, social network analysis, and ethical AI applications. Key projects include poverty prediction via mobile phone data, digital credit fairness, real-time economic indicators, and humanitarian aid optimization. His work has been published in Science, Nature, and leading economics/computer science venues.

Recent publications emphasize algorithmic welfare optimization, privacy-preserving humanitarian data use, and migration dynamics. Awards include NSF CAREER and UC Berkeley Chancellor's Award for Public Service. He teaches graduate courses on applied machine learning and big data for development, advising Ph.D. students at the intersection of data science and poverty alleviation. Active in policy workshops, his lab develops tools for global poverty microestimation and conflict impact analysis.