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Alondra Nelson

Alondra Nelson

Keynote Speaker: Science & Technology Policy Leader, Former Deputy Assistant to President Joe Biden & Director, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy

Alondra Nelson Biography

A scholar of the intersections of science, technology, policy, and society, Alondra Nelson is the Harold F. Linder Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study, an independent research center in Princeton, New Jersey. She is also a distinguished senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.

Dr. Nelson was formerly Deputy Assistant to President Joe Biden and acting director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). In this role, she was the first African American and first woman of color to lead US science and technology policy. At OSTP, she spearheaded the development of the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights, provided guidance to expand tax-payer access to federally-funded research, served as an inaugural member of the Biden Cancer Cabinet, strengthened evidence-based policymaking, and galvanized a multisector strategy to advance equity and excellence in STEM, among other accomplishments. Including her in the list of "Ten People Who Shaped Science in 2022," Nature said of Nelson's OSTP tenure, “this social scientist made strides for equity, integrity and open access.”

In 2023, she was named to the inaugural TIME100 list of the most influential people in the field of AI. A science and technology policy advisor, who has provided guidance to local, state, and federal governments, multilateral and intergovernmental organizations, legislators, civil society, and others, Dr. Nelson was nominated by the White House, and appointed by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, to serve on the UN High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence.

An accomplished non-profit and higher education leader, Nelson was the fourteenth president and CEO of the Social Science Research Council, an independent, international research nonprofit organization. She led academic and research strategy at Columbia University, where she was the inaugural Dean of Social Science and professor of sociology and gender studies. Dr. Nelson began her academic career on the faculty of Yale University, and there was recognized with the Poorvu Prize for interdisciplinary teaching excellence.

Her award-winning, widely acclaimed books and articles have been translated into Arabic and French. She is the author of The Social Life of DNA: Race, Reparations, and Reconciliation after the Genome. Her books also include Body and Soul: The Black Panther Party and the Fight against Medical Discrimination, Genetics and the Unsettled Past: The Collision of DNA, Race, and History (with Keith Wailoo and Catherine Lee), and Technicolor: Race, Technology, and Everyday Life (with Thuy Linh Tu). In 2002, Nelson edited “Afrofuturism,” an influential special issue of Social Text, drawing together contributions from scholars and artists who were members of a synonymous online community she established in 1998. She is currently writing a book about science and technology policy in the Obama-Biden and Biden-Harris administrations; "Society after Pandemic," an essay collection; and engaged in new research on the social power of the "platform" and the governance of artificial intelligence.

Dr. Nelson has held visiting professorships and fellowships at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, the BIOS Centre at the London School of Economics, the Bayreuth Academy of Advanced African Studies, and the Bavarian American Academy. Her research has been supported by the Ford Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Heising-Simons Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the National Science Foundation.

Nelson has contributed to national policy discussions on inequality and on the social implications of new technologies, including artificial intelligence, big data, and human gene-editing in Science, PLOS: Computational Biology, Genetics in Medicine, PLOS: Medicine, and the American Journal of Public Health. Her essays, reviews, and commentary have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Nature, Foreign Policy, Le Nouvel Observateur, Foreign Affairs, and on CNN, National Public Radio, BBC Radio, the New Yorker Radio Hour, and PBS Newshour, among other venues.

She is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, the Council on Foreign Relations, and an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Academy of Political and Social Science. Before joining the Biden-Harris Administration, Nelson was co-chair of the NAM Committee on Emerging Science, Technology, and Innovation and was a member of the National Academies of Sciences Committee on Responsible Computing Research.

She is the recipient of honorary degrees from Northeastern University, Rutgers University, and the City University of New York. Her honors also include the EPIC Champion of Freedom Award, the Federation of American Scientists Public Service Award, the Sage-CASBS Award, the MIT Morison Prize, and the inaugural TUM Friedrich Schiedel Prize for Social Sciences and Technology.

Nelson is an advisor to the Obama Presidency Oral History Project. Prior to her White House appointment, she served on the Boards of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Russell Sage Foundation, the Teagle Foundation, United States International University: Africa (Kenya), the Data & Society Research Institute, and the Center for Research Libraries, and as a member of the International Board of Overseers of Sabancı University (Türkiye). She is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Brotherhood/Sister Sol—a Harlem youth development organization, the Rockefeller Archive Center, the Innocence Project, and Mozilla.

Raised in Southern California, Dr. Nelson is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of California at San Diego, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. In 2024, she received the She earned her PhD from New York University in 2003.

She lives in New York City and Princeton with her husband and stepson.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Alondra Nelson and other top speakers and celebrities.

Alondra Nelson Videos

AI Regulation is Not ‘Staunching Innovation’ in the Workplace
Alondra Nelson | Healthcare's AI Future
Dr. Alondra Nelson at the 2023 FAS Awards

How do I book Alondra Nelson to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Alondra Nelson for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Alondra Nelson, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Alondra Nelson or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Alondra Nelson for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Alondra Nelson, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. For the most current speaking fee to hire Alondra Nelson, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Alondra Nelson speak about?

Alondra Nelson is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Social Sciences, Professors, Research & Exploration, Authors, Black Heritage, Diversity & Inclusion, Influential Women, Female Leadership and Culture.

Where does Alondra Nelson travel from?

Alondra Nelson generally travels from Princeton, NJ, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for Alondra Nelson?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Alondra Nelson for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Alondra Nelson for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Alondra Nelson or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


Alondra Nelson is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Social Sciences, Professors and Research & Exploration. Please contact us for live or virtual event fee details. Alondra Nelson generally travels from Princeton, NJ, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Mutale Nkonde, Safiya Noble and Nikki Giovanni. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Alondra Nelson for an upcoming event.

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 02/07/2024.

Alondra Nelson Videos

AI Regulation is Not ‘Staunching Innovation’ in the Workplace
Alondra Nelson | Healthcare's AI Future
Dr. Alondra Nelson at the 2023 FAS Awards
  • How do I book Alondra Nelson to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Alondra Nelson for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Alondra Nelson, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Alondra Nelson or any other speaker of your choice.
  • How much does it cost to book Alondra Nelson for a speaking engagement?

    Speaking fees for Alondra Nelson, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. For the most current speaking fee to hire Alondra Nelson, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Alondra Nelson speak about?

    Alondra Nelson is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Social Sciences, Professors, Research & Exploration, Authors, Black Heritage, Diversity & Inclusion, Influential Women, Female Leadership and Culture.
  • Where does Alondra Nelson travel from?

    Alondra Nelson generally travels from Princeton, NJ, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.
  • Who is the agent for Alondra Nelson?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Alondra Nelson for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Alondra Nelson for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Alondra Nelson or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
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ALONDRA NELSON

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