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PIT@UMass recently announced its 2023 Faculty Fellowship Program, which focuses on addressing complex problems with public interest impacts that will reduce societal disparities through the responsible use of information technologies. Any tenure and non-tenure track faculty from any UMass Amherst School or College who can serve as the PI of an externally funded grant may apply and proposal teams may request between $5K-$8K (total).  Proposers are welcome to use the PIT Fellowship as complementary funding to investments from UMass departments and schools or colleges to incorporate public interest considerations into their work.  As part of the Program, Fellows will meet as a cohort and share their work with each other and the campus in private and public events in a format loosely based on Harvard’s Radcliffe Fellowship – known for developing work with both depth and impact. …

This past October, the Apache Software Blog highlighted the work being done in a National Science Foundation-funded research team from UMass Amherst and the University of California, Davis. This project, ‘Jumpstarting Successful Open-Source Software Projects with Evidence-based Rules and Structures’ was funded under NSF’s Growing Convergence Research program, part of the NSF’s 10 Big Ideas initiative. In determining whether an open source project will succeed, the project team the team chose the Apache Software Foundation to understand how nascent and maturing projects in the Apache Incubator build sustainable communities that can create and maintain high-quality software. The blog post details the results of their work and plans for future activities. Read more. Envelope

Have you heard of RTC? The Responsible Tech Coalition (RTC) is an interdisciplinary organization of students who are committed to seeing that technology is ethical and accountable. Through collaborating with people from diverse industries and backgrounds, we will come together to emphasize the impact that technology can have on society. The coalition is dedicated to the advancement of dialogue, policy, and practice around responsible technology at UMass and society at large. We will start these difficult conversations by hosting events like speakers, book clubs, hackathons, and open forums which will in turn create a network within UMass that cares deeply about responsible applications of technology.  If you have a passion for responsible tech or want to learn more, we would love to welcome you to our community! Our space is welcome to all students (graduates and undergraduates), staff, and…

The next event in the “Tech in the News” event series takes place Tuesday, December 6 from 1:00 - 2:30 pm.  Hosted by CICS EQUATE and the Public Interest Technology Initiative (PIT@UMass),  this series focuses on the technology implications behind various topics in the news.  In this next event, our speakers will be Professors Ethan Zuckerman and Hamed Zamani, who will exchange perspectives on events and transitions taking place within social media.   Professor Fran Berman will moderate the discussion.  Recent articles in the news, which will be referenced during the discussion, include:How TikTok ate the internetThe Washington PostHey Elon: Let Me Help You Speed Run The Content Moderation Learning CurveTechdirtAll are welcome to attend and join the conversation!Date: December 6, 2022 Host: EQUATE and PIT@UMassEvent Type: In personTime: 1:00- 2:30 pmLocation: CICS 150/151Lunch will be served.Please…

This program helps bring diverse young talent to government and offers students the opportunity to apply their educational training to work at a federal agency. Actively recruiting its summer 2023 cohort, students from across all academic disciplines are encouraged to apply. Selected participants in the program will receive:   A 10-12 week summer internship at the Department of Commerce, the Department of Transportation, the General Services Administration, the Small Business Administration or the Department of Housing and Urban Development. $4,000 to cover stipend and other expenses. Professional development sessions, including orientation and networking events throughout the summer. The deadline for applications is November 27, 2022. Learn more.  Envelope

In spring 2023, UMass Amherst will be offering a new Public Interest Technology Class, Introduction to Public Interest Technology (CICS 290P).  The course focuses on social responsibility in a tech-powered world and introduces core concepts of Public Interest Technology.  Available to all students, the course will provide an overview of what is public interest technology, its impact and promotional strategies.  Course lectures will be given by Public Interest Technologist and Professor Fran Berman, a diverse group of instructors from across the UMass campus and potential guest lecturers, all coordinated to introduce students to the emerging field of Public Interest Technology.This is an experimental course, taught on Mondays and Wednesdays.  It will also be offered in the fall.  Learn more about the course offering and consider sharing with students who may have an interest.   Envelope