Ahmad Pratama
Data Literacies Lead, Stony Brook University Libraries
Start Date: June 20, 2024
Ahmad Pratama is a man of science, but when asked what brought him to Stony Brook University, he says, “Fate brought me here not once, but twice.” Ten years ago, in 2014, Ahmad made his way to Stony Brook as a Fulbright Scholar in the department of Technology and Society in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Now back at Stony Brook as the University Libraries’ Data Literacies Lead, Ahmad is thrilled to be on campus by what he believes to be divine intervention.
“I’m a Seawolf, through and through,” says Ahmad. “I’m so excited to give my best to the Stony Brook community in my new role.”
With a background in computer science and engineering, Ahmad followed an atypical route to his current position, though his background makes him a perfect fit. Prior to joining as a full-time faculty member, Ahmad led an interesting career pathway abroad in his home country of Indonesia. As an assistant and associate professor, he built skills using data to accomplish research in information technology. He covered many topics, using data on cultural topics, news coverage, and topics related to COVID-19. “A lot of my work has had something to do with data,” Ahmad explains.
Despite a successful career in academia, Ahmad says he “found himself in a position where leaving Indonesia became necessary,” leading him to return to the United States. With his strong connection to Stony Brook University, his background in data, and the opportunity to build a future in the U.S., it felt like fate when he came across the job posting and applied for the position. In a few weeks, he was hired and began his career as a full-time faculty member with the University.
Though the role is new to Stony Brook, Ahmad has a clear vision for his position and is passionate about launching the role from the ground up. His responsibilities include building the University’s data literacy program to educate the Stony Brook community on how to really use data. Additionally, his expertise in the type of data sources available for his patrons to leverage will be key in positioning the library to be at the forefront of new technologies, like Artificial Intelligence.
“The library can be a centerpiece of the data literacies program here at Stony Brook,” says Ahmad. “We can bridge between people from the STEM fields and non-STEM fields, people with technical backgrounds and people without technical backgrounds. We can try to help as many people as we can here - the library is the perfect place to be.”
His passion for data and connecting individuals with the tools they need to succeed can be seen in his work designing and leading workshops, with future plans to conduct courses in data literacy on campus. His goal is to ensure that “everyone at Stony Brook can critically think, meaningfully interpret data and communicate effectively with data.” These workshops will be designed for audiences with varied skill sets.
When Ahmad is not in the library, he can be found watching an AC Milan soccer game or playing strategy PC games like Sid Meier's Civilization series. He also enjoys traveling, and has been to many continents, though South America is on his bucket list.