Preview Mode Links will not work in preview mode

Information Ecosystems


Season 3: Data Science for Social Justice

The InfoEco project seeks to advance a deeply powerful understanding of where data comes from and how it is used, setting the present moment within a century-long history of information supply and its power-laden consequences. At a moment when societies are in urgent need of guidance to navigate rapidly shifting digital terrain, we are coming together to build a deep understanding of the social and political life of data.

In the 2022-2023 Academic Year, we are proud to present a series of podcasts documenting the Data Science 4 Social Justice (DS4SJ) project here at the University of Pittsburgh. One of Pitt’s goals is to leverage knowledge—through  teaching, research, and community service—for  society’s gain. The dominance of the digital sphere, the upheaval of civic life, and the role of technology in accelerating systemic inequality create an unprecedented opportunity to apply “use-driven data science” for social impact. This year, we will hear from numerous members of this project, from Pitt and beyond, about the ways that data science can facilitate a more equitable society.

Nov 22, 2019

The interviewees in this episode are Alison Langmead, Lara Putnam, and Annette Vee, the Leadership Team of the Information Ecosystems Sawyer Seminar. The interviewer is Erin O'Rourke. The website for the seminar can be found at https://infoecosystems.pitt.edu, where listeners can find a calendar of public events from September 2019 to May 2020. Our blog scan be found at https://medium.com/information-ecosystems, and our Twitter account is @Info_Ecosystems.

The podcast team includes Sarah Reiff Conell, Shack Hackney, Jane Rohrer, Erin O'Rourke, and Briana Wipf, along with support from the organizers and leadership team of this Mellon Sawyer Seminar.

This episode was recorded in the WPTS studio at the University of Pittsburgh, with special assistance by Dan Kubis and Gregory Weston.

This podcast is produced from the community surrounding a 2019-2020 Sawyer Seminar funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation at the University of Pittsburgh. Our group seeks to advance critical understanding of where data comes from and how it is used, setting the present moment within a century-long history of information supply and its power-laden consequences.