About PIT@UMass

PIT@UMass is a pioneering interdisciplinary cross-campus program established to train our students, faculty, and communities to promote the common good and public interest through the responsible creation, management, and use of technology. Our coordinated set of programs are characterized by innovative pedagogy, experiential learning, interdisciplinary research, and community engagement. PIT@UMass seeks to empower today’s and tomorrow’s workforce to navigate the challenges of a tech-driven world with ethics, societal focus, and empathy.

Core Programs

  • Residential Academic Program for incoming students to find and build PIT community and ease the transition to college life
  • Undergraduate and Graduate student clubs
  • Intro to PIT class for all students across campus
  • PIT Undergraduate Certificate to document skills and knowledge
  • High-impact experiential fellowships and internships with real world experience working with sponsors across sectors
  • PIT online Graduate Certificate
  • Interdisciplinary and creative Faculty Fellows program for mutual mentoring, research, scholarship, and curriculum development

Pit@umass trains students to:

  • Recognize the impacts of technology are never neutral
  • Bridge the gap between policy and technology
  • Approach problems in an inclusive, iterative manner
  • Use technology to generate benefits and promote public goods
  • Design and implement technology with a human-centered approach
  • Gain real-world experience working with sponsors across sectors

PIT Community Resources

Public Interest Technology (PIT) is an emerging field with connections across academic disciplines. Use the resources below to get the big picture and learn why PIT is increasingly important to the way we builld, use, and live with technology.