Alison Ketz

About Alison Ketz

I’m an ecological data scientist working at the intersection of statistics, machine…

Experience

1. Ecological Data Scientist

   Funga

   Apr 2024 — Present · Austin, TX, US

   I develop models that connect forests, microbes, and ecosystems to measurable carbon outcomes. My work bridges ecology, data science, and infrastructure—translating complex science into tools that guide conservation and climate decisions.At Funga, I’ve analyzed 20+ forestry experiments using mixed effects models, spatial models, Bayesian methods, and simulation to ensure statistical rigor. I\'ve built machine learning pipelines to scale predictions from trees to continental scale regions, synthesizing numerous dataset. I\'ve integrated statistical and predictive analyses into our analytics and reporting platform. I also turned undocumented legacy code into reproducible workflows applied across predictive machine learning models, nursery trials, field experiments, and ex-ante forecasting, delivering finance- and project-ready outputs. Alongside the modeling, I\'ve contributed to patent documentation, co-launched our Databricks/SQL platform, improved data governance, mentored scientists, managed offshore engineers, and contributed to methodology and reporting frameworks for an in-review Verra carbon methodology.Core tools: Python, R, SQL (Databricks), MLflow, Git, geospatial analysis, Bayesian statistics, ecological modeling.

Education

• Lesley University

  Bachelor of Fine Arts - BFA

• Colorado State University

  Master of Science (M.S.)

• Colorado State University

  Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

• Hunter College CUNY

  Post-Bac Math/Science Coursework