Afua Bruce
Afua Bruce | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Purdue University, BS University of Michigan, MBA |
| Occupation(s) | Software engineer, Government administrator |
| Years active | 2008 - Present |
| Known for | Government digital services |
Afua Bruce is an American engineer, data executive, professor, and former U.S. government official who has held appointments at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and on President Joe Biden’s transition agency review team at the Department of Justice.[1] In 2021, a statue was erected in Bruce's honor in Dallas, Texas by the American Association for Advancement of Science.[2][3] Bruce is a public interest technologist.[4]
Education
[edit]Bruce received a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from Purdue University and an MBA from the University of Michigan.[5][6] At Purdue, Bruce was one of two recipients of the BP Amoco merit-based scholarship.[7]
Career
[edit]Bruce began her career as a software engineer at IBM. She then joined the FBI where she served in various strategy and program management roles.[8]
In 2015, she was appointed to the Office of Science and Technology Policy at the White House as the Executive Director of the National Science and Technology Council where she led over 100 different Federal inter-agency working groups across topics that included: environment, and sustainability, homeland and national security, science, technology, and STEM education.[9][10]
Bruce then became the first Director of Engineering and a Fellow in the newly formed Public Interest Technology program at New America. In this program, Bruce oversaw the Public Interest Technology University Network, and worked with technologists working with state and local government, and NGOs, to develop technology and policy.[11][12][13]
In February 2020, it was announced that Bruce would be the new Chief Program Officer at DataKind.[14] Bruce also holds a faculty position at Carnegie Mellon University.[15] Bruce was among 29 people named to Joseph R. Biden, Jr.'s agency review team for the Department of Justice in November 2020.[16]
In 2020, Bruce gave a Ted Talk on Tech Equity and Serving the Community.[17]
Bruce is the co-author of the 2022 book, The Tech That Comes Next, a non-fiction analysis of how technology can play a role in an equitable world.[18]
Honors
[edit]Bruce was named an American Association for Advancement of Science If/Then Ambassador in recognition of her work to interest girls in STEM careers and featured in the If/Then Statue Exhibit.[19]
References
[edit]- ^ "Joe Biden Presidential Transition". Ballotpedia. Archived from the original on 2020-11-15. Retrieved 2021-04-27.
- ^ "#IfThenSheCan – The Exhibit". ifthenexhibit.org. Archived from the original on 2023-09-13. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
- ^ "AAAS IF/THEN® Ambassadors | American Association for the Advancement of Science". www.aaas.org. Archived from the original on 2021-04-28. Retrieved 2021-04-29.
- ^ "TheBridge profile: Afua Bruce". TheBridge. Archived from the original on 2021-04-28. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
- ^ "Purdue ECE alumna Afua Bruce named to the Biden transition team". Electrical and Computer Engineering - Purdue University. Archived from the original on 2021-04-23. Retrieved 2021-04-23.
- ^ "Purdue ECE Stories of Success: Afua Bruce". Electrical and Computer Engineering - Purdue University. Archived from the original on 2021-04-23. Retrieved 2021-04-23.
- ^ "Fellowship, Scholarship, and Award Winners" (PDF). WaveLinks. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-04-26. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
- ^ "Carnegie Science Center Celebrates Black History Month". Carnegie Science Center. Archived from the original on 2021-05-18. Retrieved 2021-04-23.
- ^ "OSTP Leadership & Staff". The White House. Archived from the original on 2017-11-01. Retrieved 2021-04-23.
- ^ "Afua Bruce". TEDxFoggyBottom. Archived from the original on 2021-04-23. Retrieved 2021-04-23.
- ^ "Afua Bruce". New America. Archived from the original on 2020-11-29. Retrieved 2021-04-23.
- ^ Bickford, Bianca. "From IBM, the White House, and FBI to New America: Computer Engineer Finds Niche in Tech Strategy – Forté Business 360°". Archived from the original on 2021-04-23. Retrieved 2021-04-23.
- ^ America, Code for (26 February 2021). "Carrying a Legacy, Leading the Field: Afua Bruce". Code for America. Archived from the original on 2021-04-19. Retrieved 2021-04-23.
- ^ "DataKind | Welcome Afua Bruce, DataKind's Chief Program Officer". www.datakind.org. Archived from the original on 2021-04-22. Retrieved 2021-04-23.
- ^ "Afua Bruce". Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College. Archived from the original on 2021-01-25. Retrieved 2021-04-23.
- ^ "Purdue ECE alumna Afua Bruce named to the Biden transition team". Electrical and Computer Engineering - Purdue University. Archived from the original on 2021-04-23. Retrieved 2021-04-27.
- ^ Bruce, Afua (15 January 2021), Tech Equity and Serving the Community, archived from the original on 2024-05-02, retrieved 2021-04-23
- ^ "Get The Book - The Tech That Comes Next". The Tech That Comes Next. Archived from the original on 2022-01-26. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
- ^ "#IfThenSheCan – The Exhibit". ifthenexhibit.org. Archived from the original on 2023-09-13. Retrieved 2021-04-23.