April 2015 - change - Mailing Lists

Fwd: Capacity Lab Bremen: Open ICT4D Postdoc Position
by Nicola Dell 29 Apr '15

29 Apr '15

In the International Lab for Local Capacity Building (www.capacitylab.org) at the Bremen Spatial Cognition Center, University of Bremen, Germany, the following position is available: *Research Fellow (Post Doc)* Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) The University of Bremen is searching for an entrepreneurial researcher for the management of the International Lab for Local Capacity Building *(Capacity Lab)*. *Responsibilities: *The main duties and responsibilities of the Research Fellow are: 1) to be involved in the design and implementation of multidisciplinary research activities in the area of ICT4D; 2) to devise and supervise student software development projects for computer science and digital media students; 3) to coordinate and build upon the lab’s activities and expand its network of development partners; 4) to maintain and further develop an internationally recognized research team; 5) to publish research results in the international peer-reviewed literature and other outlets; 6) to engage in capacity building activities; and 7) to seek external funding from relevant bodies. *Required qualifications and experience: *The successful candidate should have - A PhD in computer science or a related discipline - A background of research in an area of particular relevance to developing societies, such as health, education, agriculture, disaster management, or livelihood - A strong motivation to carry out research for new technologies for capacity building - Management and communication skills for collaboration with national and international partners including university labs, government agencies, and NGOs - Skills in international networking and connecting with related projects world-wide - Experience in project acquisition - A leadership personality and good team player skills *We provide* - A pleasant and open-minded interdisciplinary academic environment at the University of Bremen, one of eleven German ‘Excellence’ universities - A modern research infrastructure and a network of excellent partners around the globe - Support to building your own career The University of Bremen aims at increasing the number of female employees in science; therefore women are particularly encouraged to apply. In case of equal qualifications disabled persons will be given priority. The position is funded until 31 Dec 2017. Extension may be possible. Salary range approx. 40,000–48,000 € p.a. Please include with your application (preferably in a single pdf file): · CV · statement of interest · copies of transcripts and certificates · list of publications · two publications you are most proud of · references Please email your application by 15 May 2015 to: Capacity Lab Bremen, c/o Cognitive Systems – AG Freksa, cosy(a)informatik.uni-bremen.de (Subject: Capacity Lab). Later applications will be considered until position is filled. For further information about this position please contact Prof. Christian Freksa <freksa(a)uni-bremen.de> or Dr. Thomas Barkowsky < barkowsky(a)informatik.uni-bremen.de> -- --------------------------------------------------------- Dr.-Ing. Falko Schmid OpenScienceMaphttp://www.OpenScienceMap.org IRTG Semantic Integration of Geospatial Informationhttp://irtg.ifgi.de/ Initial Training Network GeoCrowdhttp://www.geocrowd.eu/ Capacity Labhttp://www.capacitylab.org/ Research Center on Spatial Cognitionhttp://www.sfbtr8.uni-bremen.de/ email: schmid(a)informatik.uni-bremen.de group: www.cosy.informatik.uni-bremen.de personal: www.cosy.informatik.uni-bremen.de/staff/schmid phone: +49(0)421/218-64284 fax: +49(0)421/218-9864284 ------------------------------------------

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FW: [TIER] User Experience Research Assistant - Social Impact Team at Google
by Melody Clark 24 Apr '15

24 Apr '15

Begin forwarded message: From: Matthew Kam <mattkam(a)google.com<mailto:mattkam@google.com>> Date: April 3, 2015 at 2:26:10 PM PDT To: tier(a)tier.cs.berkeley.edu<mailto:tier@tier.cs.berkeley.edu> Subject: [TIER] User Experience Research Assistant - Social Impact Team at Google Interested folks should contact John Webb (jwebb(a)google.com<mailto:jwebb@google.com>) and Catalina Naranjo-Bock (catalinanb(a)google.com<mailto:catalinanb@google.com>) directly. User Experience Research Assistant - Social Impact Role: User Experience Research Assistant - Social Impact Team Location: New York City or Mountain View, USA The Social Impact team aspires to use Google’s scale and technology to address some of the world’s greatest challenges. You want to change the world through research and design. Most of the work will take place during regular business hours, but you may need to work on evenings and Saturdays from time to time. The position is a full-time contract role for a duration of 6 months with potential to extend beyond that. The area: User Experience We follow a simple but vital premise in the User Experience group: "Focus on the user and all else will follow." We're passionately interested in our users and strive to learn everything we can about their goals and needs, attitudes and emotions to help define the products and experiences we create. The User Experience team is a critical driving force behind gathering these insights and then using them to inspire and inform design. We are a multi-disciplinary team of interaction designers, visual designers, and user researchers who collaborate closely with each other and with Engineering and Product Management to create innovative, usable, great-looking products that have real impact in people’s lives. The role: User Experience Research Assistant As a Research Assistant, you'll have the opportunity to support our research activities in developing innovative, user-friendly, best-of-breed products that aim to affect positive social change across the Social Impact team’s focus areas: Crisis, Giving, and Civic Engagement. We are looking for individuals who have excellent communication skills, are diligent, detail-oriented, and can work fairly independently. Responsibilities: · Assistance in preparing user research activities (working to schedule study sessions, setting up the usability lab, etc.). · Observing and running usability testing sessions and interviews. · Administering questionnaires and surveys. · Taking notes during user study sessions. · Analyzing qualitative & quantitative data. · Communicating findings from studies to the research lead and product teams. · Create written and visual reports (including creating graphs, highlight videos, slide decks etc.). · Analyzing, interpreting and summarizing existing research reports. Requirements: · B.A./B.S. (completed) or M.A/M.S./Ph.D. (in progress or completed) in Human Factors, Psychology, HCI/Computer Science, or other field emphasizing human behavior; or in lieu of degree, some related work experience. · Detail-oriented and ability to work fairly independently on a variety of tasks. · Interest in general research and user research methods. · Strong oral and written communication skills. · Can prioritize time between multiple projects, and be flexible by adapting to changing schedules and different projects. · Technical aptitude, familiarity with basic graphic and video editing tools preferred. · Knowledge of basic statistical concepts preferred. · OK with flexible working hours (regular business hours + evenings and Saturdays). _______________________________________________ TIER mailing list Website: http://tier.cs.berkeley.edu TIER(a)tier.cs.berkeley.edu<mailto:TIER@tier.cs.berkeley.edu> https://www.millennium.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tier

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FW: [TIER] 2015 Summer Intern Positions - Inveneo
by Melody Clark 22 Apr '15

22 Apr '15

Just passing along… -- 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/> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Bruce Baikie <bruce(a)green-wifi.org<mailto:bruce@green-wifi.org>> Date: Wed, Apr 22, 2015 at 12:00 PM Subject: [TIER] 2015 Summer Intern Positions - Inveneo To: "tier(a)tier.cs.berkeley.edu<mailto:tier@tier.cs.berkeley.edu>" <tier(a)tier.cs.berkeley.edu<mailto:tier@tier.cs.berkeley.edu>> http://www.inveneo.org/2015/04/be-inveneos-next-summer-intern-projects-incl… Inveneo is accepting applications for four (4) summer internship positions to assist in research, program management, engineering, and ICT4D development. Deadline May, 25th, 2015 This internship program is an international development initiative, with the objective of using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to foster education, social integration, and economic growth. The principal development impacts are anticipated to be: 1) Empowerment of the rural poor, women, and youth through increased and affordable access to information and communication tools, 2) More effective and citizen/student centered education programs, 3) Developed leadership and skills in ICT, 4) Employment creation within the ICT industry, ICT-enabled services development, and enhanced competitiveness of user industries and services. It is the second year of Inveneo’s Internship program focused on ICT and the emerging regions of the world. Inveneo is unique in its scope and approach to connecting those who need it most, with ICT4D work carried out in over 30 countries including in Oceania, Haiti, and across Sub-Saharan Africa. Internship Description The 2015 Summer Inveneo Internship will cover four initiatives: 1) To research region-specific educational content for education and climate change-focused projects (Research) 2) To provide organizational and administrative support to existing Inveneo programs and projects (IT) 3) To support and review qualified micro-data center challenge submissions for technical feasibility (Engineering) 4) To develop new M&E approach for existing Inveneo projects (ICT4D) These positions will require the interns to be self-driven, with the ability to work independently. Interns will be required to gather, analyze, and transform data into informational reports with specific findings and recommendations. The position will be based in Inveneo’s San Francisco, CA offices. Inveneo is open to accepting part-time and full-time interns for the summer. Qualifications · A strong academic record · Prior experience working with qualitative and quantitative data · Proven ability in research and analytical skills · Strong oral and written communication skills in English and/or French · Exceptional organizational and administrative capabilities · Ability to work effectively independently and within a team environment · Excellent interpersonal skills and a demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment Application Details To apply for this Internship, please send a 2 page writing sample of original research work, cover letter, and resume/CV to Inveneo’s Media Manager Jana Melpolder<mailto:jmelpolder@inveneo.org>, and include “Summer Internship” in the subject line. Selected candidates will be contacted by email to schedule a phone interview. Deadline for applications is May 25, 2015. _______________________________________________ TIER mailing list Website: http://tier.cs.berkeley.edu TIER(a)tier.cs.berkeley.edu<mailto:TIER@tier.cs.berkeley.edu> https://www.millennium.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tier -- Melody Clark mobile: 206.303.7910 personal email: melody.r.clark(a)gmail.com<mailto:melody.r.clark@gmail.com>

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This Week At Change: Security, Privacy, & Bit Coin in ICTD
by Waylon Brunette 20 Apr '15

20 Apr '15

Please join us this week in the Change Seminar. Camille Cobb, Sam Sudar, and Kiron Lebeck will be presenting research directions in Security & Privacy. What: Security, Privacy, & Bit Coin in ICTD When: Tuesday, April 21 at 12pm Where: The Allen Center, CSE 203 Sam Sudar and Camille Cobb will present work they started during the CSE 564 Class (Security & Privacy) last quarter. They are planning to continue the work, which explores security concerns and requirements of Open Data Kit users. Kiron Lebeck will discuss security projects related to use of Bit Coin. At this week's change talk, they will repeat the class project presentation, give an overview of plans for future work, and seek feedback and suggestions from the Change community.

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Fwd: Awaaz.De Seeking Chief Growth Officer: Help Me Spread The Word!
by Trevor Perrier 16 Apr '15

16 Apr '15

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Brian DeRenzi <bderenzi(a)cs.uct.ac.za> Date: Thu, Apr 16, 2015 at 12:16 PM Subject: Fwd: Awaaz.De Seeking Chief Growth Officer: Help Me Spread The Word! To: Trevor Perrier <tperrier(a)cs.washington.edu> Trevor, can you forward Neil's message to Change? ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Neil Patel <neil(a)awaaz.de> Date: Wed, Apr 15, 2015 at 5:50 PM Subject: Awaaz.De Seeking Chief Growth Officer: Help Me Spread The Word! To: <bderenzi(a)cs.uct.ac.za> Dear Brian, Awaaz.De <https://awaaz.de/sendy/l/1ygt/fq> is entering a new phase in 2015. After three years, we have achieved much. We have served over 4 million phone calls reaching over 300,000 individuals in 13 states in India and over 6 countries around the world. We are proud to work with some of the best organizations <https://awaaz.de/sendy/l/1ygt/fr> in the development sector. And after rigorous evaluation <https://awaaz.de/sendy/l/1ygt/fs>, our technology has been shown to deliver cost-effective social impact to marginalized communities. In 2015, our challenge is to achieve sustainable growth: increasing reach with our products and services worldwide while becoming financially viable. We have joined hands with angel investors to provide resources and guidance toward this goal. We now seek a Chief Growth Officer to lead our growth efforts. We are looking for a seasoned, creative leader who combines business acumen with a sensitivity for the development sector. The CGO would be co-founder level and work shoulder-to-shoulder with me to define Awaaz.De's mission and vision for present and future. The full job description is here <https://awaaz.de/sendy/l/1ygt/ft>. I would appreciate your help by sharing this note with anyone you know who is looking for a career opportunity in business addressing the needs of the underserved. Maybe it's you :) We would be thrilled to connect with talented folks who share our values <https://awaaz.de/sendy/l/1ygt/fu> and have the vision and drive to lead Awaaz.De in this exciting next chapter. To respond, please send a mail to jobs(a)awaaz.de and include "CGO" in the subject line. We look forward to hearing from you! Best, Neil

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Call for Proposals - UW eScience Institute's Incubation Program: Data Science for Social Good
by Brittany Fiore-Gartland 16 Apr '15

16 Apr '15

*Call for Proposals - UW eScience Institute's Incubation Program: Data Science for Social Good * University of Washington's eScience Institute will be running the third offering of its Data Science Incubation Program this summer, the focus of which will be Data Science for Social Good <http://escience.washington.edu/node/997>. We invite short proposals (1-2 pages) for 10-week exploratory data-intensive science projects requiring collaboration in scalable data management, scalable machine learning, open source software development, cloud and cluster computing, and/or visualization. We are trying a new experiment this session: We are inviting proposals that have an applied "*social good*" dimension and converge around the theme of "*Urban Science and Analytics*." This incubator session is modeled after similar programs at the University of Chicago <http://dssg.io/projects/> and Georgia Tech <http://dssg-atl.io/projects/>. The successful projects on those websites may be useful as inspiration. The goal is to provide greater opportunity for interaction and collaboration between the participants in the program by attracting participants with overlapping interests while still allowing for interdisciplinary breadth. As always, we accept proposals in any area, but we hope to solicit proposals from researchers working broadly in sociology, education, policy, information, and politics in an urban context. We welcome proposals submitted by academic researchers, public agencies, non-profit entities, and companies with focus on policy-relevant projects. This incubator session is sponsored in part by a grant from the MacArthur Foundation and an emerging campus-wide initiative at UW called Urban@UW (details to follow). *Important dates:* - Apr 21: 1-hour information session, 10:00 am - 11:00 am, Data Science Studio - May 4: Applications due - May 18: Notification - Jun 15: Kickoff meeting Each project will involve one or more project leads who will come and join us in the Data Science Studio on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the summer from June 15th to August 21st. Each project lead will "own" their project (and its results) and be responsible for its successful completion, with the eScience team providing guidance on methods, technologies, and best practices in extracting knowledge from large, noisy, and/or heterogeneous datasets as well as general software engineering. In addition to working closely with eScience mentors, each project lead will work with a team of four students assigned to assist with their project. These students will be selected, paid, and supervised by the eScience Institute. The project team may also include external mentors and stakeholders. In reviewing the proposals, we will be looking for high-risk, high-reward science that this program can help push in a new direction. In addition, we hope to select a set of projects with shared requirements; we find that participants are most successful when they interact with each other as well as with our group. A link to the application can be found here: https://catalyst.uw.edu/webq/survey/billhowe/263056 -- Brittany Fiore-Gartland, Ph.D. Moore/Sloan Data Science Postdoctoral Fellow Washington Research Foundation Innovation Postdoctoral Fellow Human Centered Design & Engineering | eScience Institute University of Washington @brittafiore | www.fioregartland.org <http://www.fioresilfvast.org/>

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FW: Capacity Lab Bremen: Open ICT4D Postdoc Position
by Ed Cutrell 16 Apr '15

16 Apr '15

FYI, postdoc position available in Bremen. FORWARDED: Capacity Lab Bremen: Open ICT4D Postdoc Position In the International Lab for Local Capacity Building at the University of Bremen we have an open position for a postdoctoral Research Fellow. I would appreciate if you could help distribute the announcement and point out this opportunity to suitable candidates. Thank you very much! Christian Freksa In the International Lab for Local Capacity Building (www.capacitylab.org<http://www.capacitylab.org>) at the Bremen Spatial Cognition Center, University of Bremen, Germany, the following position is available: Research Fellow (Post Doc) Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) The University of Bremen is searching for an entrepreneurial researcher for the management of the International Lab for Local Capacity Building (Capacity Lab). Responsibilities: The main duties and responsibilities of the Research Fellow are: 1) to be involved in the design and implementation of multidisciplinary research activities in the area of ICT4D; 2) to devise and supervise student software development projects for computer science and digital media students; 3) to coordinate and build upon the lab’s activities and expand its network of development partners; 4) to maintain and further develop an internationally recognized research team; 5) to publish research results in the international peer-reviewed literature and other outlets; 6) to engage in capacity building activities; and 7) to seek external funding from relevant bodies. Required qualifications and experience: The successful candidate should have * A PhD in computer science or a related discipline * A background of research in an area of particular relevance to developing societies, such as health, education, agriculture, disaster management, or livelihood * A strong motivation to carry out research for new technologies for capacity building * Management and communication skills for collaboration with national and international partners including university labs, government agencies, and NGOs * Skills in international networking and connecting with related projects world-wide * Experience in project acquisition * A leadership personality and good team player skills We provide * A pleasant and open-minded interdisciplinary academic environment at the University of Bremen, one of eleven German ‘Excellence’ universities * A modern research infrastructure and a network of excellent partners around the globe * Support to building your own career The University of Bremen aims at increasing the number of female employees in science; therefore women are particularly encouraged to apply. In case of equal qualifications disabled persons will be given priority. The position is funded until 31 Dec 2017. Extension may be possible. Salary range approx. 40,000–48,000 € p.a. Please include with your application (preferably in a single pdf file): • CV • statement of interest • copies of transcripts and certificates • list of publications • two publications you are most proud of • references Please email your application by 15 May 2015 to: Capacity Lab Bremen, c/o Cognitive Systems – AG Freksa, cosy(a)informatik.uni-bremen.de<mailto:cosy@informatik.uni-bremen.de> (Subject: Capacity Lab). Later applications will be considered until position is filled. For further information about this position please contact Prof. Christian Freksa <freksa(a)uni-bremen.de<mailto:freksa@uni-bremen.de>> or Dr. Thomas Barkowsky <barkowsky(a)informatik.uni-bremen.de<mailto:barkowsky@informatik.uni-bremen.de>>

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This Week At Change: Two ICTD CHI Talks
by Trevor Perrier 13 Apr '15

13 Apr '15

Please join us this week in the Change Seminar. Aditya Vashistha and Trevor Perrier will be presenting work from published at CHI 2015 happening next week. *What: *Two ICTD CHI Talks: Aditya Vashistha and Trevor Perrier* * *When: *Tuesday, April 14 at 12pm *Where: *The Allen Center, CSE 203 *Paper Abstracts* /Engaging Pregnant Women in Kenya with a Hybrid Computer-Human SMS Communication System/ A growing body of HCI4D research studies the use of SMS communication to deliver health and information services to underserved populations. This paper contributes a novel dimension to this field of study by examining if a hybrid computer-human SMS system can engage pregnant women in Kenya in health-related communication. Our approach leverages the different strengths of both the computer and the human. The computer automates the bulk-sending of personalized messages to patients, allowing the human to read patients’ replies and respond to those in need of attention. Findings from a 12-month deployment with 100 women show that our approach is capable of engaging the majority of participants in health-related conversations. We show that receiving messages from the system triggers participant communication and the amount of communication increases as participants approach their expected due date. In addition, analysis of participants’ messages shows that they often contain sensitive health information conveyed through a complex mixture of languages and ‘txting’ abbreviations, all of which highlight the benefits of including a human in the workflow. Our findings are relevant for HCI researchers and practitioners interested in understanding or engaging underserved populations. /Sangeet Swara: A Community-Moderated Voice Forum in Rural India/ Interactive voice forums have emerged as a promising platform for people in developing regions to record and share audio messages using low-end mobile phones. However, one of the barriers to the scalability of voice forums is the process of screening and categorizing content, often done by a dedicated team of moderators. We present Sangeet Swara, a voice forum for songs and cultural content that relies on the community of callers to curate high-quality posts that are prioritized for playback to others. An 11-week deployment of Sangeet Swara found broad and impassioned usage, especially among visually impaired users. We also conducted a follow-up experiment, called Talent Hunt, that sought to reduce reliance on toll-free telephone lines. Together, our deployments span about 53,000 calls from 13,000 callers, who submitted 6,000 posts and 150,000 judgments of other content. Using a mixed-methods analysis of call logs, audio content, comparison with outside judges, and 204 automated phone surveys, we evaluate the user experience, the strengths and weaknesses of community moderation, financial sustainability, and the implications for future systems. *Bio:* Aditya Vashistha <http://www.adityavashistha.com/> is a second year PhD student in CSE. Prior to coming to UW he was at MSRI working with the Technologies for Emerging Markets <http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/groups/tem/> group. His research interests are in the domain of Information and Communication Technologies for Development, Human-Computer Interaction for Development, Social Computing and Ubiquitous Computing. Trevor Perrier is a third year PhD student in CSE. He works closely with UW Global health to implement SMS projects for behaviour change. He is interested in building systems that engage individuals through ubiquitous communication technology.

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ICTD2015: last day for early-bird registration
by Kentaro Toyama 09 Apr '15

09 Apr '15

ICTD2015, last day for early-bird registration! http://ictd2015.org/registration/ Conference is May 15-18 in Singapore.

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iSchool Undergrad Capstone Guest Speaker (April 8) / Adnan Mahmud
by Amirah Majid 07 Apr '15

07 Apr '15

Tomorrow morning we have Adnan Mahmud as a guest speaker in the iSchool undergrad Capstone class. His work on global philanthropy and building data tools for change related organisations may interest you. All are welcome Wednesday April 8, MGH 389, 830am ...read on for some details about him... You are also welcome to participate in the MoPad, https://capstone490.etherpad.mozilla.org/8 pass: capstone ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Nam-ho Park <namho(a)uw.edu> Date: Tue, Apr 7, 2015 at 4:41 PM Subject: [Info490a_wi15] Guest Speaker (April 8) / Adnan Mahmud --- *Adnan Mahmud* Founder, CEO of LiveStories.com [image: Inline image 2] Adnan Mahmud is the founder and CEO of LiveStories <http://livestories.com/> - a Seattle-based startup building data tools for non-data people, simplifying data analysis, visualization, and presentation for everyone. LiveStories is being used by governments and large nonprofits, like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, government of Nigeria, and county health departments in California, to make smarter decisions. Prior to LiveStories, he founded and grew Jolkona.org <http://jolkona.org/> a crowdsourcing platform that provide impact reports for every donation. He also worked 8 years in Microsoft where he managed the two biggest data pipeliness for the company, obtaining few patents around data analysis and visualization, and ran incubation projects in Microsoft Research, contributing technologies to major Microsoft products like Office, Windows, XBOX Kinect, and Bing. Adnan is an envoy for US State Department for social entrepreneurship and youth leadership, speaking at university campuses around the world. He has been featured on TED <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FvPJzvxhlw>, CNN, NPR, and Seattle Times and he is a regular contributor to Huffington Post <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/adnan-mahmud/>. -- -- ----- --- -- ---- -- - ----- ---- --- --- -- - -- ---- ---- --- - -- --- --- -- -- Nam-ho Park Instructor, INFO 490/491 Information School | University of Washington namho(a)uw.edu ALSO: Annan Mahmud / Jolkona, LiveStories http://www.huffingtonpost.com/adnan-mahmud/ Four M's of Millennial Giving: Micro, Meaningful, Mobile and Monthly http://www.huffingtonpost.com/adnan-mahmud/four-ms-of-millennial-giv_b_3639… Geek of the Week: Adnan Mahmud, Jolkona co-founder http://www.geekwire.com/2011/geek-of-the-week-adnan-mahmud-jolkona-cofounde… Drop by drop, a current of young philanthropy grows http://www.seattletimes.com/business/drop-by-drop-a-current-of-young-philan… -- A. M. Majid أميرة ماجد‬‎ PhD student Information School, University of Washington Seattle USA https://users.resist.ca/~amirah/

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