Laurie Baker: computing, data science, epidemiology
By Jeremy Powers ’24
The College of the Atlantic community is excited to welcome Laurie Baker as a new faculty member in computer science. With her rich academic background and her experience working with statisticians and data scientists from across the globe, Baker brings new perspectives and innovative approaches to this important field.
Baker, who was drawn to COA’s self-directed, interdisciplinary program, said she is looking forward to expanding course offerings in computer science and to collaborating with and learning from students here.
“One of the things I find really exciting about computer science and data science is that they can touch so many different fields,” Baker said. “I love the breadth of what’s possible to do in data science and in computer science, and I really like the ways that student interests extend my own learning into other topic areas that I haven’t looked at or thought about before.”
Baker is a disease ecologist and marine biologist by training, with a keen interest in programming, data science, and the use of novel data sources in research. Her work focuses on understanding how dynamics change over time and space in human and natural systems, including how diseases spread, how animals move, and how fish populations are managed. She uses special tools and techniques from the field of data science to study these patterns and to see how different interventions and policy decisions can affect them.
“One of the courses that I’m really excited about is teaching a community-engaged data science class that works with regional partners on data science questions. These projects can give students really valuable experience in applying data science techniques to local problems and working in partnership with organizations to understand local needs and to exchange knowledge. These projects also present great opportunities for students to connect with the community around them,” she says.
Baker reflects all the best of what is happening in computer science, said COA provost Ken Hill.
“Dr. Baker’s research is action-oriented, her teaching is inspiring, and her commitment to social justice is sound,” Hill said. “Her cutting-edge work on disease ecology fits very well into the broader frame of human ecology. We’re so happy to have her teaching here at COA.”
Baker holds a PhD in ecology and evolution from University of Glasgow, an MSc in marine biology from Dalhousie University, and a BSc in marine biology from the University of St. Andrews. She has held positions as a visiting assistant professor of digital and computational studies at Bates College, head of faculty and data science lecturer in the UK at the Data Science Campus at the Office for National Statistics, and Medical Research Council fellow at University of Glasgow. She has also spent time as a visiting researcher at the Universidade Federal do Paraná in Curitiba, Brazil, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, Norway, and the Instituto de Fomento Pesquero in Valparaíso, Chile.
Baker has authored a number of papers about her research on rabies, gray seals, fisheries, and pulmonary arterial hypertension in journals including PLOS One, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Movement Ecology, Environmental Biology of Fishes, and the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
When she isn’t working behind a computer, Baker is an enthusiast of all things outdoors.
“I love hiking, sailing, and biking, and playing sports like soccer and ultimate. I am working on becoming a better skater—I’ve got a pair of Nordic skates that your Nordic ski boots can clip into. They are great for going out on rougher ice, I’m hoping to explore some more of the frozen ponds and lakes in the area,” she said, “I also really enjoy learning languages, I have been practicing Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese over the years, and I’m looking forward to continuing with that.”
