Morgan Ames

Morgan Ames is an Assistant Professor of Practice at the University of California, Berkeley, affiliated with the School of Information and the Center for Science, Technology, Medicine and Society. Her research bridges science and technology studies, anthropology, and critical data science, focusing on ideological roots of inequality in technology, youth cultures, and educational practices.

• Ph.D. in Communication (minor in Anthropology), Stanford University
• M.S. in Information Science, UC Berkeley
• B.A. in Computer Science, UC Berkeley

Her work examines the intersection of utopianism, identity, and technology in Silicon Valley and immigrant communities, with a focus on youth technocultures and algorithmic fairness. She teaches courses like Behind the Data: Humans and Values and advises on ethnographic methods.

Recent publications include Prestige and Prejudice (2025) and The Charisma Machine (2019), which critiques the One Laptop per Child project through ethnographic studies in Paraguay. Her articles highlight critical perspectives on data science, education, and technocultural myths.

• Best Information Science Book Award (2020)
• Sally Hacker Prize (2020)
• Computer History Museum Prize (2021)

She co-advises Ph.D. students and is involved in the Algorithmic Fairness and Opacity Working Group and Center for Science, Technology, Society, and Policy, though she cannot serve as a primary advisor.