February 2015 - change - Mailing Lists

Study ICTs and research in Ghana this summer
by Chris Rothschild 11 Mar '15

11 Mar '15

Hello, I’d like to let you know of a great opportunity to study ICTs in Ghana and learn about research and development this summer. Applications are now open for the “Experience Research: Communication Technologies and Development in Southern Ghana” Exploration Seminar. This will be the 5th consecutive year the program has run and we are excited to be taking a new group of students. (Graduate and undergraduate students are welcome to apply.) Program topics will include international development, the spread of ICTs in low and middle-income countries, and field research in developing countries. A more comprehensive description is at the end of this email, as is a link to the program site with additional details. It will be 4 weeks long and take place during early fall start, which means it occurs between Summer B and the beginning of Fall 2015. Credits will be counted towards your Fall 2015 load. Students will receive 5 credits (INFX 597 or INFO 497) and the course satisfies the research methods requirement for Informatics students (INFO 470) and qualifies as an elective for the International Development Certificate Program (IDCP). Like all other study abroad programs, we are happy to work with you and your advisor if the program satisfies a different course in your major. We will have 2 information sessions: Thursday 1/29: 12:30 - 1:30, MGH 224 Wednesday 2/11: 12:30 - 1:30, MGH 173R Please also don’t hesitate to contact me (chriskr(a)uw.edu<mailto:chriskr@uw.edu>) or Araba Sey (arabasey(a)uw.edu<mailto:arabasey@uw.edu>) for more information. Application Deadline is March 1 To apply or get additional information, follow this link: https://studyabroad.washington.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgra… Thanks! Chris Program Description: If you've ever wondered whether information and communication technologies (ICTs) are really changing lives in African countries, this is an opportunity to find out for yourself. Learn how to design and carry out a research project to answer questions you have about the role of ICTs in socio-economic development, while also experiencing the realities of life in Ghana. The "Experience Research" seminar will guide you to develop research skills by examining how people in different types of communities (urban and rural) use ICTs (defined broadly) in their daily lives. Access to ICTs in Ghana ranges from limited access in many rural areas to high access levels in urban areas comparable to major US cities. How can we understand people's needs and resources across these diverse communities? What strategies do people in conditions of low access use to satisfy their information and communication needs and what are the outcomes for their livelihoods? Are these behaviors any different from those exhibited by people living under similar constraints in the US? Well-designed field research studies can provide insights on these and other questions. You will select an ICT-related topic of interest to you, and receive personalized instruction and practical experience on using field research methods to explore that topic. Course readings, seminar discussions, data collection in the field, community service and observations around the country will not only expose you to the world of research, but will also give us fodder to interrogate our own definitions of development and how it can be attained. This program is designed for students interested in international development, the spread of ICTs in low and middle-income countries, and/or learning about field research in developing countries. Past participants have come from a wide range of backgrounds including: Information Science, Communications, Human Centered Design and Engineering, International Studies, Public Administration, Health, and Political Science. You do not need to have research experience, and we welcome both graduate and undergraduate students. The course satisfies the research methods requirement for Informatics students (INFO 470) and qualifies as an elective for International Development Certificate Program (IDCP) students https://studyabroad.washington.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgra… _______________________ Chris Rothschild Research Analyst Technology & Social Change Group, University of Washington chriskr(a)uw.edu 206.685.1708

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Fwd: [dub] HCDE Invited Lecture: Neha Kumar - "Mobiles, Media, and Marginality"
by Trevor Perrier 02 Mar '15

02 Mar '15

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: HCDE News <hcdenews(a)uw.edu> Date: Fri, Feb 27, 2015 at 9:27 AM Subject: [dub] HCDE Invited Lecture: Neha Kumar - "Mobiles, Media, and Marginality" To: hcde-community(a)uw.edu, dub(a)dub.washington.edu *Please join the department of Human Centered Design & Engineering next Tuesday, March 3, for a special guest lecture.* *Mobiles, Media, and Marginality* *Neha Kumar* Tuesday, March 3 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. Sieg Hall, Room 233 Save to your calendar >> <http://eventactions.com/ea.aspx?e32=grzwn70mmdakr1hf9d3erasr7s> With the rapid proliferation of mobile phones across the world, marginal technology users are fast becoming the majority as they begin to engage with technologies on their own terms. My research focuses on understanding these emerging sociotechnical contexts in under-represented communities across the world and leveraging this understanding to design and build appropriate technological interventions for the benefit of these communities. I engage with a growing body of Science and Technology Studies (STS) literature to critically analyze and constructively inform the processes of technology design. In this talk, I will present my ethnographic findings on the appropriation of mobile technology by Indian youth from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. My research shows how these youth, through their offline and online media engagements, end up creating informal spaces of learning for themselves. Thus I emphasize that 'development-friendly' outcomes can and do result from less-studied recreational uses of technology. I will subsequently discuss how I operationalize these findings towards the design and implementation of two distinct mobile health initiatives, before presenting future directions for my work. *Bio:* *Neha Kumar *is a postdoctoral researcher at the Annenberg School of Communication in University of Southern California. Prior to this, she was at the University of Washington for a year, working as a postdoc with Profs. Richard Anderson and Gaetano Borriello in the Computer Science and Engineering department. She completed her PhD at the School of Information at UC Berkeley, where she was advised by Prof. Tapan Parikh. She carries two masters degrees from Stanford University, one in Computer Science and the other in Learning, Design & Technology. She was a recipient of the Google Anita Borg Memorial Fellowship in 2012. Human Centered Design & Engineering <http://www.hcde.uw.edu/> *[image: University of Washington Signature]* <http://www.washington.edu/marketing/files/2012/10/wsignature.gif> Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/hcde.uw> | Twitter <http://twitter.com/hcdeUW> | LinkedIn <http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Human-Centered-Design-Engineering-2502822> _______________________________________________ dub mailing list dub(a)dub.washington.edu http://dub.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/dub

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Fwd: UW CSE Colloquium / Tuesday, March 3, 2015 / Heimerl / UC Berkeley / Community Cellular Networks
by Trevor Perrier 27 Feb '15

27 Feb '15

-------- Forwarded Message -------- Subject: UW CSE Colloquium / Tuesday, March 3, 2015 / Heimerl / UC Berkeley / Community Cellular Networks Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2015 14:03:25 -0800 From: Info about upcoming UW CSE Colloquia <talks(a)cs.washington.edu> Reply-To: talks-request(a)cs.washington.edu To: tperrier(a)cs.washington.edu Next Tuesday... UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON Computer Science and Engineering COLLOQUIUM SPEAKER: Kurtis Heimerl, UC Berkeley TITLE: Community Cellular Networks DATE: Tuesday, March 3, 2015 TIME: 3:30pm PLACE: EEB-105 HOST: Richard Anderson ABSTRACT: Cellular networks are one of the most impactful technologies of the last century, with over 3.5 billion active users in just under 25 years of operation. However, over a billion people, primarily in rural areas, still live without this basic service. There are two primary reasons for this: First, rural areas are difficult for incumbents to cover profitably, as costs are higher and revenue is lower. Second, current cellular regulations only allow for incumbents to bring coverage, forbidding other organizations from covering underserved areas. In order to resolve these concerns and bring coverage to communities, we developed three core technologies. The first is "Community Cellular Networks": small-scale, locally owned and operated cellular networks. The second is Virtual Coverage, a mechanism for reducing the cost of rural cellular through smart duty cycling. The third is GSM White Space, a technology and regulatory framework for community cellular networks utilizing spectrum sensing available on standard GSM phones. We demonstrate the value of all three technologies through an ongoing, sustainable, 2 year long installation in rural Papua, Indonesia, which generates over 1000 USD/month in revenue for the local community while supporting over 400 subscribers and handling over 500,000 communications. Lastly, we discuss the future of cellular in the context of our company Endaga, the broader Community Cellular movement, and opportunities in disaster relief. Bio: Kurtis Heimerl is a postdoctoral researcher in UC Berkeley's TIER group as well as the CEO and cofounder of Endaga. Kurtis received his BS in Computer Engineering from the University of Washington and his MS and Ph.D in Computer Science from UC Berkeley under Professors Eric Brewer and Tapan Parikh. Kurtis's research focuses on enabling rural cellular access through empowering local entrepreneurs to set up and manage their own community cellular networks, for which he was named to Technology Review's 2014 list of "35 under 35" Innovators Heimerl profile Kurtis has previously worked on education (Metamouse, a system for converting single-player educational games into multiplayer games) and crowdsourcing (Umati, the crowdsourcing vending machine). He has published widely and won numerous paper awards including best paper at CHI and DySPAN and a community award at NSDI. Refreshments to be served in room prior to talk. *NOTE* This lecture will be broadcast live via the Internet. See http://www.cs.washington.edu/news/colloq.info.html for more information. Email: talk-info(a)cs.washington.edu Info: http://www.cs.washington.edu/ (206) 543-1695 The University of Washington is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accomodation in its services, programs, activities, education and employment for individuals with disabilities. To request disability accommodation, contact the Disability Services Office at least ten days in advance of the event at: (206) 543-6450/V, (206) 543-6452/TTY, (206) 685-7264 (FAX), or email at dso(a)u.washington.edu.

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Looking for student programmers
by Justin McReynolds 25 Feb '15

25 Feb '15

We're looking for students with programming skills (PHP, Python, Ruby and/or Java) to work on open-source health informatics software with the UW's Clinical Informatics Research Group (http://cirg.washington.edu) Requires significant experience working with Linux systems, and databases; health/clinical experience not necessary. The work will include web & mobile development with open source tools, database management, and software testing. 12-20 hours per week, possibly more during the summer. This is a paid gig and a great opportunity to gain experience working with teams on domestic and international clinical and public health informatics projects. Likely opportunities for collaboration on posters and publications. Contact mcjustin(a)uw.edu<mailto:mcjustin@uw.edu> for more information. Justin McReynolds Technical Program Manager Clinical Informatics Research Group University of Washington

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FW: [dub] HCDE Invited Lecture: David Mellis - "Democratizing Electronics: Accessibility and Meaning in Technological Making"
by Melody Clark 19 Feb '15

19 Feb '15

Passing along...may be of interest. -- Melody Clark Communications Specialist Technology & Social Change (TASCHA) melclark(a)uw.edu<mailto:melclark@uw.edu> | 206.303.7910 Twitter: @taschagroup<https://twitter.com/taschagroup> | @melodyrclark<https://twitter.com/#!/melodyrclark> tascha.uw.edu<http://tascha.uw.edu/> From: dub-bounces(a)dub.washington.edu [mailto:dub-bounces@dub.washington.edu] On Behalf Of HCDE News Sent: Thursday, February 19, 2015 11:28 AM To: hcde-community(a)uw.edu; dub(a)dub.washington.edu Subject: [dub] HCDE Invited Lecture: David Mellis - "Democratizing Electronics: Accessibility and Meaning in Technological Making" Please join the department of Human Centered Design & Engineering next Tuesday, February 24, for a special guest lecture. Democratizing Electronics: Accessibility and Meaning in Technological Making David Mellis, MIT Media Lab Tuesday, February 24 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. Sieg Hall, Room 233 Save to your calendar >><http://eventactions.com/ea.aspx?e32=wfzf6maz82sps761yc4g5j7u4r> [cid:image004.jpg@01D04C39.92952880]My work seeks to democratize electronics making. I develop tools, examples, and contexts that help designers, artists, students, hobbyists, and others prototype, design, and fabricate interactive artifacts. That involves not only making technology accessible to new audiences but making it relevant and meaningful for those audiences. In this talk, I share lessons from my work on electronics prototyping platforms; on supporting the use of electronics in design, craft, and art; and on do-it-yourself electronic devices. Based on my experience as the lead software developer for the Arduino electronics prototyping platform, I discuss approaches to supporting the design and prototyping of interactive objects and their behaviors. Drawing on my time teaching physical computing in design and art contexts, I discuss strategies for translating electronics and embedded computation into natural materials for creative practice. My research at the MIT Media Lab investigates the application of an open-source approach to the making of electronic products. I discuss the opportunities and constraints I've encountered in redesigning devices (like radios and cellphones) for personal production using digital fabrication. I share strategies for engaging others in making electronic devices for use in their daily lives. Finally, I discuss future research opportunities, including both potential new platforms for the making of interactive artifacts and means of engaging new audiences in these activities. Bio: David A. Mellis is a PhD student at the MIT Media Lab, in Prof. Mitchel Resnick's Lifelong Kindergarten group. David completed his master's degree at the Media Lab in Prof. Leah Buechley's High-Low Tech group. Prior to the Media Lab, David was a member of the faculty for the pilot year at the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design, an international master's program. David has a master's degree from the Interaction Design Institute Ivrea (Italy) and is a co-founder of the Arduino electronics prototyping platform. Human Centered Design & Engineering<http://www.hcde.uw.edu/> [University of Washington Signature]<http://www.washington.edu/marketing/files/2012/10/wsignature.gif> Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/hcde.uw> | Twitter<http://twitter.com/hcdeUW> | LinkedIn<http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Human-Centered-Design-Engineering-2502822>

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List of ICTD orgs in India
by Anupam Jain 18 Feb '15

18 Feb '15

Hi folks We are trying to do so mapping out of the ICTD space in India (mostly practitioners) and wanted to start off by listing down all orgs (only India as of now) actively involved in building tech for development and classifying them under broad domains. Wanted to check if anyone knows of other such lists that we could refer to as well? (have seen this <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ICT4D_organizations> one) Thanks Anupam --------- Anupam Technical Project Manager Dimagi

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Change Tomorrow: Samia Razaq - Maternal and Child Health Projects in Pakistan
by Trevor Perrier 16 Feb '15

16 Feb '15

Just a quick reminder that we will be having Change tomorrow. ** *What*: Samia Razaq - Maternal and Child Health Projects in Pakistan *When:* Tuesday, Feb 17 at 12pm *Where:* The Allen Center, CSE 203 Please join us this week for Change. Smaia Razaq from ITU-Punjab will be presenting information needs surrounding maternal health awareness in Pakistan. *Abstract:* Pakistan has the third highest maternal deaths in South Asia. Globally, more than 350,000 women die each year from preventable complications linked to pregnancy. Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) is relatively higher in developing countries with a concentration in rural and underserved communities. In Pakistan around 30,000 women die each year due to the pre and postnatal complications. In this talk Samia Razaq talks about three maternal health mHealth initiatives from ITU-Punjab to address these issues. Projects include an SMS and IVR system to inform women about family planning, pre-maternal illness and general health, a digitized Android based IMCI protocol being deployed at Ganga Ram hospital, and work on digitizing immunization records. All three projects help alleviate health information gaps among women, communities and health officials. *About the speaker:* Samia Razaq completed her Masters in Computer Sciences from the School of Science and Engineering (SSE) at LUMS. During her time at LUMS, she was part of the research lab, Neighborhood for Emerging World Technologists (NEWT). As part of her research work she worked in the area of ICTD and Language Technologies and worked on several collaborative projects with the Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA. Currently, Samia is teaching the D-Lab course at ITU-Punjab, which is inspired from D-Lab MIT, where she hopes to relay her knowledge of 6 years of research in robotics and ICT4D to the students. She believes that a person can better impact the world, by building solutions and designing systems that facilitate the development of the world.

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Fwd: Product Manager position at Creative
by Ted McCarthy 12 Feb '15

12 Feb '15

Creative is hiring a Product Manager - Technology for Development. ----------------------------- Contact: Jacqui Deelstra - jacquid(a)creativedc.com Job description: https://rew21.ultiproworkplace.com/CRE1010/JobBoard/JobDetails.aspx?__ID=*1… Job Details Requisition Number14-0102Post Date1/22/2015TitleProduct Manager - T4DCity WashingtonDescription *Product Manager* *Technology for Development* *Position Location:* Washington D.C. *Background:* Creative Associates International (Creative) is a dynamic, fast-growing global development firm that specializes in education, economic growth, youth, democratic institutions, crisis mitigation and stabilization. Based in Washington, D.C., Creative has a field presence in more than 15 countries with a strong client portfolio that includes the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department, among others. Since its founding in 1977, Creative has earned a solid reputation among its clients and is well-regarded by competitors and partners alike. *Position Summary:* Technology for Development (T4D) is a growing focus for Creative. Housed in the Cross-Functional and New Markets group, it is responsible for incubating innovative technologies for use in international development programs, and supporting various Creative divisions in the appropriate and creative application of these mobile and other information and community technologies for education, citizen engagement, workforce development and the like. The T4D Product Manager will lead the product strategy, management and design of the technologies Creative invests in, as well as contribute in shaping future Creative investments in technology. *Reporting & Supervision:* The position will report to the Sr. Associate, Technology for Development. *Primary Responsibilities:* · Manage the product user research, design, usability, acceptance testing, roadmap, and sprint planning forCreativeU <http://creativeu.com/> – a new home-grown responsive platform for blended learning for use in development. Interact with customers and clients, and liaise with the contracted software development team to strategize and grow CreativeU. · Manage the product development of an open-source mobile geospatial data collection and analysis toolset for improving development data analytics, visibility and sustainability. Collaborate in defining the vision of the product, and the adoption of it by the open source software community. · Experiment with and deploy various off the shelf and open source platforms for applications in Creative programs in different developing countries. E.g. installing, customizing and setting up KoBo Toolbox for data collection in a project; or KA Lite on Raspberry Pi for access to educational materials in schools with no internet access. *Required Skills & Qualifications:* · 5 to 7 years of online and mobile product management experience · Experience in usability testing methods with a sharp eye for user experience and modern interface design · Rapid prototyping and programming skills in LAMP, RoR, Python, or similar stack · Adept in Agile software development processes and tools · Experience working with remote and multicultural tech teams · Excellent written and verbal communication skills, and interpersonal skills · Must be analytical, organized, customer focused, decisive, proactive, optimistic and creative. · Have demonstrable projects or a portfolio *Desired Skills & Qualifications:* · Bachelors and master’s degree in computer science, software engineering, design, human-computer interaction or business related field · Open source software development experience, with a github profile of contributions · Experience with e-learning · Experience with geographic information systems (GIS) · Experience with product users from Middle East, Africa, and Latin America · Familiarity with Information & Communication Technology for Development (ICTD) research, technologies, vendors, funders and implementers · Passion for the potential of technology for assisting the underserved *Creative Associates International is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women and Minorities are encouraged to apply. AA/V/D.*

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Reminder: Webinar this Thursday about using case management in CommCare
by Gillian Javetski 10 Feb '15

10 Feb '15

Hi everyone, Dimagi is hosting a remote, 90-minute technical webinar about case management in CommCare <http://www.commcarehq.org/> this Thursday. CommCare is a cloud product used by hundreds of frontline programs around the world to equip their frontline workers with mobile apps. CommCare supports case management <https://confluence.dimagi.com/display/commcarepublic/Case+Management>, which enables the users of the mobile app to register people or items of interest and track associated data over time. A core need of many frontline programs, case management is featured in CommCare and other solutions by organizations like D-Tree, Mobenzi, Grameen Foundation, and many others. The following topics will be covered during the webinar: - A general overview of case management, including its benefits and when to use it - How to set up and use case management in CommCare - Examples of mobile applications that use case management - A Q&A session about case management from webinar attendees *Webinar details: * - When: Thursday, February 12th from 10am-11:30am EST - Login instructions: Join from PC, Mac, iOS, or Android: https://zoom.us/j/887851100 - Who should attend: Program managers and technical staff currently using CommCare or interested in learning more about building mobile applications with CommCare. This is the first in a series of technical webinars Dimagi will be hosting. Topics will be selected based on survey responses sent in by users. If you have any questions about this technical webinar or future webinars, please email webinars(a)dimagi.com. <webinars(a)dimagi.com> Thank you! Gillian *Gillian Javetski* *Dimagi, Inc.*

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This Week At Change: Krysta Yousoufian - Fair Trade Phone
by Trevor Perrier 09 Feb '15

09 Feb '15

*What*: Krysta Yousoufian: Fair Trade Phone? Creating More Socially and Environmentally Responsible Electronic Devices *When:* Tuesday, Feb 10 at 12pm *Where:* The Allen Center, CSE 203 Please join us for this week’s Change Seminar. This week former UW student Krysta Yousoufian will be stopping by to talk about a side project she is passionate about: a fair trade smartphone. Come learn more about the supply chain behind our ubiquitous devices and what we can do to make it more sustainable. Please note, there will be a Change Seminar next week Feb 17. *Abstract:* Most of us love our smartphones and other gadgets, and we talk at length about their potential for global development. But there is a dark side to this proliferation of electronic devices: a host of social and environmental costs embedded throughout their lifecycle. How can we do better? At my workplace, a group of passionate employees has been looking at how we can create a more socially, environmentally responsible smartphone. Begun during a company-wide Hackathon and continued on our own time, our project aims to put these issues on the map, create a real alternative, and ultimately change the way the industry does business. We want you to be part of the conversation. Join a discussion on questions such as: How do we address the most pressing social and environmental costs of our devices? How do we create a device that consumers can trust is "better," and will they buy it? Are "do well" and "do good" even compatible? This is an entirely a personal project on our own time. Although our project has benefited from company channels for encouraging innovation, we speak only on behalf of ourselves. *About the speaker:* Krysta Yousoufian is a UW CSE and Change alumna, receiving her BS and MS from the department in 2011 and 2012, respectively. As an undergrad, she worked with Richard Anderson and PATH on global health research. After graduating, she joined Microsoft as a software engineer looking at health from another angle: first on the HealthVault team and then on Microsoft Health. Krysta's passion is for the development of fairer, more sustainable economies, expressed through side endeavors such as weekly volunteer customer service at Ten Thousand Villages, a nonprofit, fair-trade retail store. Krysta began her current electronics initiative as a natural integration of her personal and professional interests.

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