November 2023 - change - Mailing Lists

Dec 5th Change Seminar details
by Innocent Obi 30 Nov '23

30 Nov '23

Hi everyone! We had a cancellation from our scheduled speaker for next week. To close out the quarter, we will instead meet to discuss this quarter's speakers and ideas. We will have lunch available. Best, UW Change Organizers

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Change Seminar TODAY: Neil Gaikwad - Public Interest Computing: Pluralistic Design of Ethically Responsible AI and Policy
by Lisa Orii 28 Nov '23

28 Nov '23

Hi everyone, For today's Change talk, we will be hearing from *Neil** Gaikwad* (he/him) from MIT. His talk is titled *Public Interest Computing: Pluralistic Design of Ethically Responsible AI and Policy*. *Description* AI-enabled systems profoundly shape our daily lives, influencing our interactions with the world. Despite their vast impact, advanced AI technologies, like large language models (LLMs), often elude billions grappling with poverty and global climate challenges. This inequity underscores the urgent need for policy-oriented AI research focused on driving social change and sustainable development. This talk centers on real-world field research dedicated to designing AI-driven decision-making systems in resource-scarce environments. Emphasizing distributive justice, I illuminate sociotechnical challenges faced by mainstream AI designs rooted in evolving norms, algorithmic biases, shifting data distributions, and enduring colonial legacies. The talk delves into innovative Responsible AI designs to augment climate change mitigation policies and addressing market failures that have led to over 300,000 farmer suicides. I introduce Public Interest Computing as a framework proposing the integration of social and ethical values into Human-AI decision systems from their inception, ensuring foundational guidance for equitable AI design, implementation, and governance. By prioritizing historically marginalized communities and local partners, this framework harnesses AI-enabled insights to scientifically inform high-stakes policy decisions and improve the well-being of invisible millions. Throughout the talk, I emphasize the crucial need for conscientious progress in public sector AI, highlighting its significance not just as a focal point but as a pathway to equitably distribute the benefits of digital technologies across society. *Seminar Details* Location: Tuesdays from 12-1pm in 271 CSE2 (The Bill and Melinda Gates Center) Zoom: https://washington.zoom.us/j/95254816636 *Presenter Bio* Neil Gaikwad is a PhD candidate at MIT where he is also a Scholar of Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing and a fellow at the Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values. His research in Responsible AI and Policy brings a novel computational lens to high-stakes societal decision-making, specifically focusing on addressing issues of equity, ethics, and access within algorithmic systems. This research has been published in top conferences in artificial intelligence (AAAI) and human-computer interaction (CHI, CSCW, UIST). It has also been featured in The New York Times, New Scientist, Bloomberg, WIRED, and The Wall Street Journal. The impact of Neil's research and teaching has received widespread recognition, including a Facebook PhD Fellowship, an MIT Human Rights & Technology Fellowship, a Rising Star in Data Science by the University of Chicago, a nomination for Schmidt Science Fellows, and an MIT GSC Graduate Teaching Award. For his contributions to advancing DEI values, he was honored with MIT's highest student award, the Karl Taylor Compton Prize. Neil holds a master’s degree from the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University. For further information about his research and artistic pursuits, please visit: webpage <http://www.media.mit.edu/~gaikwad>, X neilsgaikwad <https://twitter.com/neilsgaikwad>, arts on Instagram neilgaikwad_creations <https://www.instagram.com/p/BXLiMCshYo8/> Check out our website: www.change.washington.edu! Best, UW Change Organizers

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No CHANGE Today
by Innocent Obi 21 Nov '23

21 Nov '23

Hi everyone! Apologies for the last minute reminder. There is no seminar today. Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving! Best, UW Change Organizers

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Seattle Community Network- Tiny Home Village sensor research hackathons this weekend
by Esther Jang 19 Nov '23

19 Nov '23

Hi Change Community, Prof. Kurtis Heimerl and I are running 2 "hackathon" type events this week for our NSF Smart & Connected Communities grant involving sensor technologies for Tiny Home Villages. We are working with the Nickelsville organization, with THVs in Northlake and Central District. https://www.nickelsville.org/ There will be food! Friday eve SCN Hack Night- Nov 17th, 6:30-10:30 pm, at the Filipino Community Center: https://www.meetup.com/seattle-tacoma-community-network/events/297020229/ Sunday Nov 19th during the day 10am-5pm at Seattle Makers in Wallingford: https://www.meetup.com/seattle-tacoma-community-network/events/297293712/ If you are at all interested in engaging with local THVs, this is a great way to get started. We will have access to typical makerspace tools and materials, as well as some initial ideas from co-design workshops we've held with the residents. Please spread the word to your maker friends even if you can't make it! Thanks, -Esther

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Re: [change] Change Seminar 11/14: Dhaval Vyas - Democratizing Making: Scaffolding Participation Using e-Waste to Engage Under-resourced Communities in Technology Design
by Innocent Obi 13 Nov '23

13 Nov '23

Quick reminder of tomorrow's talk. best, UW Change organizers On Fri, Nov 10, 2023 at 4:45 PM Innocent Obi <innoobi(a)cs.washington.edu> wrote: > Hi everyone! > > At next week's Change talk we will be hearing from Dr. Dhaval Vyas > (he/him) from University of Queensland, Australia. Dr. Vyas's talk is > titled *Democratizing Making: Scaffolding Participation Using e-Waste to > Engage Under-resourced Communities in Technology Design*. > > *Description* > Maker culture and DIY practices are central to democratizing the design of > technology; enabling non-designers (future end-users) to actively > participate in the design process. However, little is known about how > individuals from under-resourced communities and low socioeconomic status > (SES) backgrounds, can practically leverage maker practices to design > technology, creating value for themselves or their communities. To > investigate this, we collaborated with an e-waste recycling centre, > involving 24 participants (staff and low-SES volunteers) in two > participatory maker workshop activities. Participants were provided with a > generative e-waste toolkit, through which they repurposed e-waste materials > and developed novel technology prototypes that created value from their > perspectives and agendas. Our findings unpack three factors that influenced > their making: balancing personal and community needs; incorporating > convenience and productivity; and re-thinking sustainability and > connection; and discussing strategies for scaffolding participation and > engagement of under-resourced communities in making use of an e-waste > generative toolkit to democratize technology design. > > *Seminar Details* > Location: Tuesdays from 12-1pm in 271 CSE2 (The Bill and Melinda Gates > Center) > Zoom: https://washington.zoom.us/j/95254816636 > > *Presenter Bio* > Dhaval is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Queensland, Australia. > His research primarily focuses on Human-Centered Computing (HCC) and > Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW). He runs a research group called > the Compassion Lab, which focuses on designing technologies to support > members from under-resourced communities. > > > Check out our website: www.change.washington.edu! > > Best, > > UW Change Organizers >

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Fwd: Tenure-track position in Social, Political, and Ethical Dimensions of Technology in Development
by Kentaro Toyama 07 Nov '23

07 Nov '23

Forwarding a job announcement for Assistant Professor specializing in Social, Political, and Ethical Dimensions of Technology in Development at Cornell... = = = = = Faculty Position Available in *Social, Political, and Ethical Dimensions of Technology in Development* *Department of Global Development* *College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University* *Position*: Assistant Professor, Tenure-track. *Location*: Ithaca, NY. The academic home for this position is the Department of Global Development <https://cals.cornell.edu/global-development> in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, housed on the Ithaca campus of Cornell University. *Start Date*: July 1, 2024, or as negotiated. The Department of Global Development invites applicants for an Assistant Professor in the area of technology and development. Given the centrality of technology in development efforts and the uneven social and environmental impacts of technological interventions, it is vital to examine technologies through a lens of justice-centered ethics. We seek candidates who share our strong commitment to innovative research, teaching and mentoring, and whose work addresses the ethical implications and power dynamics of technology and technological change and how these contribute to different social and environmental outcomes. The responsibilities of this position are 50% research and 50% teaching, and the successful candidate will be expected to develop an internationally recognized and externally funded research program. Teaching responsibilities will consist of 2.5 courses per academic year (2 courses one year; 3 the next), with a combination of courses at undergraduate and graduate levels, including an introductory undergraduate course addressing ethics in social and economic development. *Required qualifications: *Candidates must have a PhD in the social sciences, humanities, or a related discipline. Their work should clearly address questions of ethics and technology in development. *Preferred qualifications* include demonstrated excellence in teaching and a commitment to engagement with marginalized communities. We welcome candidates who come from the Global South or other backgrounds that are historically under-represented in the academy. *To see the full position description and to apply, please **follow this link* <https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/26353>*.* Applicants are encouraged to apply by *January 1, 2024*. The search will continue until the position has been filled. Inquiries may be directed to the search chair, John Aloysius Zinda, jaz65(a)cornell.edu

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Reminder -- Change Seminar 11/7: Rumaisa Habib - A Framework for Improving Web Affordability and Inclusiveness
by Innocent Obi 06 Nov '23

06 Nov '23

Hi everyone! Quick reminder that this week's Change talk (tomorrow), we will be hearing from Rumaisa Habib from Stanford. Their talk is titled *A Framework for Improving Web Affordability and Inclusiveness*. *Description* Today's Web remains too expensive for many Internet users, especially in developing regions. Unfortunately, the rising complexity of the Web makes affordability an even bigger concern as it stands to limit users' access to Internet services. We propose a novel framework and a fairness metric for rethinking Web architecture for affordability and inclusion. Our proposed framework systematically adapts Web complexity based on geographic variations in mobile broadband prices and income levels. We conduct a cross-country analysis of 99 countries, showing that our framework can better balance affordability and webpage quality while preserving user privacy. To adapt Web complexity, our framework solves an optimization problem to produce web pages that maximize page quality while reducing the webpage to a given target size. *Seminar Details* Location: Tuesdays from 12-1pm in 271 CSE2 (The Bill and Melinda Gates Center) Zoom: https://washington.zoom.us/j/95254816636 *Presenter Bio* Rumaisa Habib is a first year PhD student at Stanford University. Prior to joining Stanford, they were an undergraduate at LUMS, Pakistan. Their research at LUMS primarily focused on improving the affordability of the Internet through both policy and technical solutions. They are broadly interested in designing improvements for the Web. Check out our website: www.change.washington.edu! Best, UW Change Organizers

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Change Seminar 11/7: Rumaisa Habib - A Framework for Improving Web Affordability and Inclusiveness
by Innocent Obi 02 Nov '23

02 Nov '23

Hi everyone! At next week's Change talk, we will be hearing from Rumaisa Habib from Stanford. Their talk is titled *A Framework for Improving Web Affordability and Inclusiveness*. *Description* Today's Web remains too expensive for many Internet users, especially in developing regions. Unfortunately, the rising complexity of the Web makes affordability an even bigger concern as it stands to limit users' access to Internet services. We propose a novel framework and a fairness metric for rethinking Web architecture for affordability and inclusion. Our proposed framework systematically adapts Web complexity based on geographic variations in mobile broadband prices and income levels. We conduct a cross-country analysis of 99 countries, showing that our framework can better balance affordability and webpage quality while preserving user privacy. To adapt Web complexity, our framework solves an optimization problem to produce web pages that maximize page quality while reducing the webpage to a given target size. *Seminar Details* Location: Tuesdays from 12-1pm in 271 CSE2 (The Bill and Melinda Gates Center) Zoom: https://washington.zoom.us/j/95254816636 *Presenter Bio* Rumaisa Habib is a first year PhD student at Stanford University. Prior to joining Stanford, they were an undergraduate at LUMS, Pakistan. Their research at LUMS primarily focused on improving the affordability of the Internet through both policy and technical solutions. They are broadly interested in designing improvements for the Web. Check out our website: www.change.washington.edu! Best, UW Change Organizers ______

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