Pedrito Maynard-Zhang

Pedrito Maynard-Zhang is a Sr. Research Scientist on the Amazon Future Engineer (AFE) team where he leads the team’s Global Research & Measurement initiatives. He has worked at Amazon and Microsoft as a Software Development Engineer for over 15 years, specializing in solving problems in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and data science. Preceding his career in industry, he held a faculty position at Miami University where he taught computer science courses and conducted AI research. He earned his doctorate in computer science from Stanford University and a bachelor’s in electrical engineering from Walla Walla University. His professional experience as an engineer, educator, and researcher together with his lived experience as a child of Jamaican immigrants have led to a passion for increasing equitable access to STEM education and careers for all young people, especially those from communities underserved and underrepresented in STEM. His current role at AFE provides a perfect opportunity to meaningfully impact this critical challenge.