- change - Mailing Lists

tapan parikh in esquire
by Yaw Anokwa 20 Jan '09

20 Jan '09

former uw grad student and change member, tapan parikh, has been featured in esquire. http://www.esquire.com/features/best-and-brightest-2008/third-world-cell-ph… has the story.

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Fwd: CommCare press
by Yaw Anokwa 15 Jan '09

15 Jan '09

pretty exciting stuff from cse grad student (and change founder) brian derenzi. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Brian DeRenzi <bderenzi(a)gmail.com> For those who haven't seen it, CommCare has had some press lately: http://www.thestandard.com/news/2009/01/05/new-mobile-phone-applications-he… http://money.cnn.com/2008/12/26/technology/mobile_health.fortune/?postversi… They even ran the story in an English speaking newspaper here in Tanzania!

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CSE 590f Seminar, Wed, January 21, Ali Mokdad, IHME
by Richard Anderson 15 Jan '09

15 Jan '09

Ali Mokdad from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation will be speaking next week in the computing and the developing world seminar. There are tremendous challenges in conducting accurate public health surveys in the developing world - Ali will be talking about these in the context of technology change. This is a great opportunity to learn more about a very important domain, where there are many open computing and technology problems. CSE 590f, Wednesday, January 21, 4:00-4:50 pm, CSE 403. Public Health Surveillance in a Changing Telecommunication Environment. Dr. Ali Mokdad, IHME and UW The rapid changes in telecommunication technology has changed public health surveillance. For example, response rates for most random digit dial (RDD) telephone surveys declined precipitously, leaving researchers to question the validity and reliability of these data. The growth in telemarketing efforts, increased use of cellular telephones, advancements in caller-identification and call-screening technology, and the advent of "do not call" lists have helped to accelerate this drop in surveys participation. As a result, several large surveillance system are using a "multi mode" approach to data collection by administering their surveys via the web, mail, cellular telephone, and landline telephone. The presentation will provide an overview of the challenges and solutions. Dr. Mokdad recently joined the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. The main mission of IHME is to monitor global health conditions and health systems, as well as evaluate interventions, initiatives, and reforms. This will provide high quality and timely information on health so that policymakers, researchers, donors, practitioners, local decision-makers, and others can better allocate limited resources to achieve optimal results.

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Upcoming Change Event
by Natalie Linnell 15 Jan '09

15 Jan '09

Change is a group of faculty, students, and staff at the University of Washington who are exploring the role of information and communication technologies (ICT) in improving the lives of underserved populations, especially in the developing world. We will be hosting a poster session with light refreshments on Thursday, February 26 from 5:00-7:00 PM in the atrium of the Allen Center for Computer Science and Engineering. In addition to helping network those interested in this field, the event will also kick off a speaker series on ICTs in Development that will start in Spring quarter. Contact Natalie Linnell (linnell(a)cs.washington.edu) if you are interested in presenting a poster of your work and please forward this announcement as appropriate. When: Thursday February 26, 5:00-7:00 PM Where: Atrium, Paul Allen Center for Computer Science and Engineering http://www.washington.edu/home/maps/southcentral.html?CSE

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ROOM CHANGE for January 14 event - CIS Speaker Series
by Melody Clark 14 Jan '09

14 Jan '09

Hello all! I apologize for any inconveniences, but we just had a last minute room change for tomorrow's speaker event. Instead of Mary Gates Hall 241, we will now be in Mary Gates Hall 228. We will have signs in place at MGH 241, but I wanted to give you all the heads up. Thank you, and hope to see you tomorrow! Melody GUEST LECTURE SERIES ONLINE BUDDHIST COMMUNITY, AUTHORITY AND IDENTITY WHAT: CIS is hosting a monthly Guest Lecture Series, and this is the first Lecture in the series. The format will include a presentation by a UW researcher (faculty/staff/student) accompanied by two panel members from other disciplines. *WHERE: Mary Gates Hall 228* WHEN: January 14th, 2008, 4-5pm LECTURER: Laura Busch – Dept. of Communications TITLE: Online Buddhist Community, Authority and Identity: a case study on how the process of spiritualizing technology impact religious identity and authority in a Buddhist Web forum. ABSTRACT: This study analyzes the Buddhist message forum E-sangha, to analyze how this forum's founder and moderators 'spiritualized the Internet' using contemporary, narratives of global Buddhist community, and in doing so, provided these actors authority in determining the boundaries of Buddhist orthodoxy and identity. Through a qualitative structural and textual analysis of E-sangha Web space, this study demonstrates how religious community narratives provide Web producers and forum moderators the opportunity to frame Web environments as sacred community spaces, which inherently allows those in control of the site the authority to set the boundaries of religious identity and hence, who can take part in the community. PANEL MEMBERS: Gad Barzilai – Jackson School's Law, Societies, and Justice Program, Rucha Ambikar – Center for Information & Society Box 354985 Seattle, WA 98195 Tel 206.616.9101 Fax 206.616.5149 cisinfo(a)u.washington.edu www.cis.washington.edu -- Melody Clark MLIS Candidate 2010 - University of Washington Coordinator - Center for Information and Society mobile: 206.303.7910 email: melody.r.clark(a)gmail.com or melclark(a)u.washington.edu

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ROOM CHANGE for January 14 event - CIS Speaker Series
by Melody Clark 13 Jan '09

13 Jan '09

Hello all! I apologize for any inconveniences, but we just had a last minute room change for tomorrow's speaker event. Instead of Mary Gates Hall 241, we will now be in Mary Gates Hall 228. We will have signs in place at MGH 241, but I wanted to give you all the heads up. Thank you, and hope to see you tomorrow! Melody GUEST LECTURE SERIES ONLINE BUDDHIST COMMUNITY, AUTHORITY AND IDENTITY WHAT: CIS is hosting a monthly Guest Lecture Series, and this is the first Lecture in the series. The format will include a presentation by a UW researcher (faculty/staff/student) accompanied by two panel members from other disciplines. *WHERE: Mary Gates Hall 228* WHEN: January 14th, 2008, 4-5pm LECTURER: Laura Busch – Dept. of Communications TITLE: Online Buddhist Community, Authority and Identity: a case study on how the process of spiritualizing technology impact religious identity and authority in a Buddhist Web forum. ABSTRACT: This study analyzes the Buddhist message forum E-sangha, to analyze how this forum's founder and moderators 'spiritualized the Internet' using contemporary, narratives of global Buddhist community, and in doing so, provided these actors authority in determining the boundaries of Buddhist orthodoxy and identity. Through a qualitative structural and textual analysis of E-sangha Web space, this study demonstrates how religious community narratives provide Web producers and forum moderators the opportunity to frame Web environments as sacred community spaces, which inherently allows those in control of the site the authority to set the boundaries of religious identity and hence, who can take part in the community. PANEL MEMBERS: Gad Barzilai – Jackson School's Law, Societies, and Justice Program, Rucha Ambikar – Center for Information & Society Box 354985 Seattle, WA 98195 Tel 206.616.9101 Fax 206.616.5149 cisinfo(a)u.washington.edu www.cis.washington.edu -- Melody Clark MLIS Candidate 2010 - University of Washington Coordinator - Center for Information and Society mobile: 206.303.7910 email: melody.r.clark(a)gmail.com or melclark(a)u.washington.edu

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CSE590F Seminar, Phil Fawcett, Information needs of the rural poor
by Richard Anderson 12 Jan '09

12 Jan '09

CSE590f - Computing and the Developing World Seminar Wednesday, January 14th, 4:00 - 4:50 pm, CSE 403. [Note the change from the originally scheduled time/place]. Phil Fawcett, Microsoft / UW iSchool A Tale of two Homes: Observations about the information needs of the rural poor in Ensenada, Mexico Abstract: Several prominent ICT authors including the United Nations Development agency have found that many ICT4D (Information and Communication for development) projects share a number of fundamental flaws. One prominent author, Alfonso Dargan, in his article "Take Five" A Handful of Essential ICTs in Development" notes the following problems and challenges for ICT effectiveness in bringing about real social change and social development: 1. Community Ownership - Many projects are initiated without community input that leads to equipment theft or deterioration because of lack of a sense of ownership. 2. Local Content - Most Internet content is irrelevant to the developing world's poor and is controlled by commercial rules. The demand for telephone, fax, and computer services far exceeds the demand for the Internet in most rural centers. 3. Appropriate Technology - Computers themselves remain a luxury, and purchasing decisions appear to be out of step with the needs of communities. The newest hardware/software capacity is generally underused and is not available to be repaired in most local settings. Technology must be appropriate and adequate to the needs of the communities, not in technical terms but in terms of utilization, learning, and adoption. 4. Language and Culture Pertinence - English dominates the web, and when combined with the Internet's class and cultural uniformity, create a new "Apartheid". The developing world is also left to inherit a "user culture" because of a lack of opportunities for contribution. Without the presence of local cultural/language, ICT's cannot contribute to the development of communities. The present unbalanced "cultural exchange" must be altered and will occur only if communities are empowered to produce more local content. 5. Convergence and Networking - Projects are initiated in areas with no history of participation, no convergence with other programs or organizations, and no networking with other ICT projects. Projects are instituted in isolation without alliances amongst each of or the community. The above issues could be characterized by what the Human Computer Interface (HCI) community calls a failure to "know thy user." Without adequate consultation and understanding of the target users and their communities, many projects lack sustainable impact. As a result, an obvious "design reality" gap exists between the people who create development informatics solutions and the people and communities that use them. My talk will describe the beginnings of an ethnographic exploration to understand the information needs of the rural poor in Ensenada, Mexico. I plan on accomplishing this by studying their day-to-day lives, using a participatory design process, and introducing several technology interventions that are customized to meet the needs of the community The research will begin by closely examining two home-building programs that I've participated in as a volunteer builder and community worker during the past five years. The first program, Homes of Hope, has built more than 3,000 wood houses in Ensenada since 1990. The houses are built from scratch, and take 20-24 total human hours to complete. The other program, Arial Homes, builds manufactured homes made of sheet-metal panels and foam insulation, which are completed in less than 8 human hours. Arial Homes has built 25 homes since 2006. I will discuss my observations and present field notes from preliminary fieldwork to the region since 2003. I'll also discuss a series of proposed field trips in June, July, and August 2009 that will focus more broadly on the information technology needs of the rural poor in Baja, Mexico. Some possible research explorations include: * What role do social networks play in the community at large and in neighborhoods such as the Colonias? * Who are the information gatekeepers in the Colonias? * Can information and technology enhancements be used to close the digital divide in Ensenada and its surrounding area? * How can we discover which information and technology interventions are best suited for the rural poor in developing countries? * Can I generalize the research findings of the rural poor in Ensenada Mexico to rural poor populations in central America and developing countries in around the world? Bio Phil Fawcett has worked in the computer-science industry since the early 1980s. During this time as a corporate controller turned IT manager, he planned and implemented manual-to-automated system conversions for small-and medium-sized businesses in manufacturing, land and building management, and large-scale construction. Since joining Microsoft in 1984, Fawcett has held positions as a support engineer, test lead, and test manager and helped ship more than 25 products, including Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Works for Apple and Windows operating systems, and Microsoft Project for Windows. He also served as a supportability program manager, technical evangelist for Windows hardware platforms, and regional call-center manager. He is currently a principal research program manager doing technology transfer from the research work of 850 Microsoft researchers worldwide to the Microsoft Windows and Mobile and Embedded product divisions. Mr. Fawcett holds a B.A. degree in Accounting and Marketing from Seattle Pacific University and an MBA from Seattle University. He is a doctoral student in Information Science at the University of Washington. Fawcett's volunteer work in Central America and Mexico has led to a strong research interest in information and communication technology for development (ICT4D). In the mid-90's during the Guatemala civil war, he transported computers to rural Guatemala for use in medical clinics north of Guatemala City. In the past five years, he has been involved in house-building projects and community development in Ensenada, Mexico. Fawcett holds five patents in modem and communication-related technologies in Windows. His hobbies are technology, photography, motocross riding, painting, and long-distance bicycle riding. He has participated in three transcontinental bicycle rides across the United States in 21 days or fewer.

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CIS Guest Lecture Series Kicks Off January 14th
by Melody Clark 12 Jan '09

12 Jan '09

Hello! We wanted to remind you that CIS is kicking off it¹s first lecture in our new lecture series this Wednesday, January 14, 2009 at 4pm in Mary Gates Hall 241. There will be intellectual stimulation, snacks, and coffee/tea, so please join us, and feel free to bring a friend or two! Hope to see you soon! Melody Melody Clark MLIS Candidate 2010 - University of Washington Coordinator - Center for Information and Society mobile: 206.303.7910 email: melody.r.clark(a)gmail.com or melclark(a)u.washington.edu GUEST LECTURE SERIES ONLINE BUDDHIST COMMUNITY, AUTHORITY AND IDENTITY WHAT: CIS is hosting a monthly Guest Lecture Series, and this is the first Lecture in the series. The format will include a presentation by a UW researcher (faculty/staff/student) accompanied by two panel members from other disciplines. WHERE: Mary Gates Hall 241 WHEN: January 14th, 2008, 4-5pm LECTURER: Laura Busch Dept. of Communications TITLE: Online Buddhist Community, Authority and Identity: a case study on how the process of spiritualizing technology impact religious identity and authority in a Buddhist Web forum. ABSTRACT: This study analyzes the Buddhist message forum E-sangha, to analyze how this forum¹s founder and moderators spiritualized the Internet¹ using contemporary, narratives of global Buddhist community, and in doing so, provided these actors authority in determining the boundaries of Buddhist orthodoxy and identity. Through a qualitative structural and textual analysis of E-sangha Web space, this study demonstrates how religious community narratives provide Web producers and forum moderators the opportunity to frame Web environments as sacred community spaces, which inherently allows those in control of the site the authority to set the boundaries of religious identity and hence, who can take part in the community. PANEL MEMBERS: Gad Barzilai Jackson School¹s Law, Societies, and Justice Program, Rucha Ambikar Center for Information & Society Box 354985 Seattle, WA 98195 Tel 206.616.9101 Fax 206.616.5149 cisinfo(a)u.washington.edu www.cis.washington.edu

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Fwd: [uwdesi-all] Public Education System in India: Now and the Future
by Sunil Garg 10 Jan '09

10 Jan '09

Begin forwarded message: > From: Tapoja Chaudhuri <tapoja(a)u.washington.edu> > Date: January 10, 2009 1:21:55 PM PST > To: "uwdesi-all(a)u.washington.edu" <uwdesi-all(a)u.washington.edu>, "soasiagrads(a)u.washington.edu > " <soasiagrads(a)u.washington.edu> > Subject: [uwdesi-all] Public Education System in India: Now and the > Future > > > FYI: A talk given by a grass-roots reformer of public education > system in India. Please see below for more details: > > > Asha Seattle > > Presents > > Sikshana & Public Education System > > Now and the Future > > A talk by > > E S Ramamurthy > > Sunday, 11th Jan 2009 at 5:00 PM > > Building 42, Conference Room 2200, > > Microsoft Campus > > 156th AVE NE & NE 31st ST, Redmond, WA – 98052 > > (See Directions below) > > Contact: Saurabh (Saurabh.madan(a)gmail.com, 425- 591-7890) > > > > Asha-Seattle is delighted to present to you one of its esteemed > partners <http://www.ashanet.org/projects/project-view.php?p=397> > Mr. E. S. Ramamurthy. After a distinguished career at Bharat Heavy > Electricals Ltd. and a stint with Govt. of India as a Senior > Adviser, Mr. Ramamurthy embarked on yet another career in the area > of education by starting Sikshana. Managed by Sivasri Foundation, > Sikshana aims to improve the quality of primary education by > evolving a sustainable model which will lend itself to replication > on a larger scale. As 90% of all children in the age group of 6-14 > attend government run public schools in India, Sikshana tries to > work with the government and attempts to reform the primary > education system by working within the system. Currently, 133 > primary schools, in and around Bangalore, with nearly 20000 students > have been adopted by Sikshana. You can find information about > Sikshana at www.sikshana.org <http://www.sikshana.org/> and attend > this talk to learn even more about this unique program from the man > himself. > > > > Asha-Seattle hopes that this will provide a platform and opportunity > where you get to interact with individuals who are undertaking > groundbreaking social work in India. It also hopes that its partners > get a valuable opportunity to learn and network with individuals who > may have valuable experience to share from diverse backgrounds. > > Directions From Interstate 5, or Hwy 405 - Go East on Hwy 520; Take > NE 40th ST. exit; Turn RIGHT onto NE 40th S.;Turn RIGHT onto 156th > AVE NE; Turn RIGHT onto NE 31st ST. and Bldg 42 will be on your right. > > Directions From Overlake Transit center: Walk to 156th AVE NE; > Head SOUTH on 156th AVE NE toward NE 31st ST; Turn RIGHT on NE > 31st ST; First RIGHT into parking lot with round island; walk across > the lot and Building 42 will be on your right. > >

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FW: Bonderman Travel Fellowships
by Richard Anderson 09 Jan '09

09 Jan '09

-----Original Message----- From: gradappt(a)u.washington.edu [mailto:gradappt@u.washington.edu] Sent: Friday, January 09, 2009 2:55 PM To: Graduate Program Assistants Subject: Bonderman Travel Fellowships Dear GPAs - Please pass this along to your graduate student email lists. ****************************************************************************************** The annual Bonderman Travel Fellowship competition is upon us, and The Graduate School and UW Honors Program will be hosting information sessions on January 13 and 14 for interested applicants. This fellowship is a unique-to-UW opportunity that you don't want to miss. There may never be another time in your life when you get paid to travel and explore your own interests. Selected Bonderman Fellows will undertake international travel for eight or more months, to six or more countries in two or more major regions of the world. Through solo travel the Fellows will focus on exploration and discovery, learning about the world and themselves in it. Up to five graduate (and five undergraduate) Bonderman Fellowships will be awarded in Spring 2009. Each Fellowship carries a $20,000 award to be used only for extended international travel. Fellows may not conduct research, pursue an academic project, or participate in a formal program or organization. Fellows should plan to begin their travel between May 2009 and June 30, 2010. Students who propose to travel beginning later than June 2010 should apply in the next round. More information on the information sessions, the application process, etc. is here: http://www.grad.washington.edu/fellow/Bonderman_page.htm The application deadline is February 16, 2009. If you do not have the chance to attend one of the information sessions and have questions, do not hesitate to contact me at helene(a)u.washington.edu. Best regards, Helene Obradovich Director, Fellowships & Awards The Graduate School

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