News

This past semester, Dr. Francine Berman led the first “Introduction to Public Interest Technology” class.  Students explored the socio-technical world and pragmatic strategies for promoting personal and social responsibility, and as part of this course, formed teams to work on Public Interest problems and develop interventions.  A sampling of the projects and their hard work is shown in the posters below. Regulation of AI Chatbots View larger version Licenses and Cloaking and AI, Oh My! View larger version The Racial Implications of Facial Recognition Technology when Used by Law Enforcement View larger version Stop the Spread: Deepfakes on Social Media  View larger version For more information, contact Professor Fran Berman, fberman@umass.edu. Envelope

In partnership with the Information Technology program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst), the Public Interest Technology Initiative (PIT@UMass) is pleased to announce a new undergraduate academic certificate in public interest technology, set to launch during the fall 2023 semester.  Public interest technology (PIT) focuses on the development and realization of socially responsible solutions to the challenges of a technology-driven world. The five-course PIT Certificate, open to all students regardless of major, is designed to help students strengthen technical and social literacy skills while developing pragmatic strategies for promoting all aspects of public interest technology to society. Courses will prioritize topics such as privacy, safety, security, sustainability, and equity. A capstone course will bookend the curriculum by providing students with real-life experiences in addressing PIT-related challenges.  PIT@UMass Director Fran Berman explains, “This certificate…

Jessica Dillard-Wright, 2023 PIT@UMass Fellow and Assistant Professor in the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing will participate in the American Academy o f Nursing Policy Dialogue on Thursday, April 27, from 12:00 - 1:30 PM ET.Titled “More Than Documentation Burden Creating Burnout: What Systems Must do to Achieve Safe, Efficient Patient Care Using Technology,” Jessica will join other speakers and attendees in:Describing technology’s effect on providers and the association to burnout, the workforce shortage, and the potential for negative impact.Examining factors related to documentation burden and potential solutions to reduce burden.Identify actions, interventions, and systemic changes needed to support providers and the delivery of safe patient care.The event is hosted by the Expert Panel on Informatics & Technology in collaboration with the Expert Panels on Acute & Critical Care, Quality Health Care, Bioethics, and Building Health…

Do you work in Environmental Justice? Do you work at the nexus of Social Equity? Do you work in Energy Research? Do you want to figure out how to connect your research to these themes?  Do you like a free lunch? Then join us for this networking event! WHEN: April 19th from 9:00-1:00 WHERE: The Hadley Room, 10th floor of the Campus Center Learn more. Envelope

The Public Interest Technology Initiative at UMass is excited to announce the recipients of its 2023 Faculty Fellowship Program.  This program, launched one year ago, focuses on building public interest-focused interdisciplinary research within the University and to support faculty in developing proposals for external funding. PIT@UMass is an initiative that was launched in 2021, focused on enhancing and expanding the offerings at UMass Amherst that build social literacy, tech literacy, and the critical thinking needed to promote the public interest in today’s world.   Fellows will receive seed funding to support their projects, all aimed at addressing and potentially solving a complex problem with public interest impacts and reducing social disparities through the responsible and ethical use of information technologies.   The following nine faculty members and their respective projects and teams were selected:Ali Sarvghad, Manning College of Information and…

This past month, UMass Amherst highlighted PIT@UMass and its goal to “reboot” higher education so students and faculty are better equipped to address the challenges of today’s technology-driven society in a socially responsible way.  Read article. Envelope