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Sponsored by the IALS Center for Personalized Health Monitoring’s Health Tech for the People (HT4P) research thrust, and grounded in principles of design justice, this monthly workshop series features voices from the community speaking to the role and impacts of health technologies and data systems. Following the listening session, attendees are invited to discuss what they’ve heard and share their own knowledge and skills, resources, and ideas for how we might work towards health justice and more ethical and accountable data landscapes and technologies. Students, staff, community members, and faculty from any & all disciplines are invited to join the conversation! A light lunch will be provided. SPEAKER: Nurse Midwife AMY WALKER of Mass General Brigham Cooley Dickinson Hospital’s New Beginnings Program. Moderated by nursing PhD candidate CORY ELLEN GATRALL WHEN: Thursday, November 16, 11:30…

Please join us for TechnoLegacy/AnalogWake: A Death Teach-In and Skillshare on December 8, 2023, at the Institute of Applied Life Sciences Conference Center or via Zoom from 1200-1600 ET for a transdiciplinary, multimedia learning space to explore a variety of perspectives from human-centered technologies and art to nursing and women, gender, and sexuality studies to think about something we all too often try not to think about: death and what comes next.This shared time will include community art-making, storytelling, and talks from a variety of speakers, including Tamara Kneese, who will discuss her recent book Death Glitch: How Technosolutionism Fails Us in this Life and the Beyond and end of life navigator, poet, and UMass alumna Dina Stander, who will speak to death care and community. Others will also join us. In addition to speakers,…

The Responsible Technology Coalition will host two events in November to discuss the white paper “Towards an AI Accountability Policy,” co-written by UMass Amherst faculty and students in response to the “AI Accountability Policy Request for Comments” by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration of the United States. The white paper offers a set of interconnected recommendations for an AI accountability policy.Part two of this conversation will feature UMass Amherst doctoral student Nicholas Perello as he discusses his contributions to the white paper. He’ll be focusing on the white paper’s discussion of fairness and explainability in AI policymaking. Pizza will be providedSPEAKER: NICHOLAS PERELLOWHEN: November 29, 6:00 p.m.View the white paper | Register

The Responsible Technology Coalition will host two events in November to discuss the white paper "Towards an AI Accountability Policy," co-written by UMass Amherst faculty and students in response to the "AI Accountability Policy Request for Comments" by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration of the United States. The white paper offers a set of interconnected recommendations for an AI accountability policy. Part one of this two-part conversation will discuss the white paper in a book club-like conversation over Zoom. WHEN: November 15, 6:00 p.m.View the white paper | Register

In an increasingly data-driven world, algorithms play a pivotal role in shaping our lives, from determining what content we see on social media to influencing hiring decisions and resource allocation. The impact of these algorithms is not always equitable and can perpetuate bias and inequity, yet they also have the potential to foster a more just and inclusive world.Join us online to learn about how research is addressing bias, discrimination, and ethical concerns in algorithm development. Our panel of experts will delve into the many challenges and opportunities, including the complexities behind the design of equitable algorithms, the biases they may unintentionally harbor, and the profound social implications they have.This panel is co-organized by the Computational Social Science Institute (CSSI), Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR), The Equity, Accountability, Trust and Accountability Initiative (EQUATE), and Public Interest Technology Initiative…

Join the Responsible Technology Coalition for pizza, informal socializing, an overview of their plans for the year, and a presentation by Research Fellow Virginia Partridge on UMass' Initiative for Digital Public Infrastructure's interactive map of Reddit, which shows how the biggest subreddits on the site are connected.  The Responsible Technology Coalition (RTC) is an interdisciplinary organization of students who are committed to seeing that technology is ethical and accountable. Graduate and undergraduate students are encouraged to attend this event to meet fellow responsible tech enthusiasts and learn about the RTC.  Pizza and drinks will be provided.  SPEAKER: Virginia Partridge WHEN: October 25, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Learn more.