- change - Mailing Lists

NEXT-WEEK: Change seminar April 19th Mustafa Naseem (NOT TUESDAY)
by Innocent Obi 10 Apr '23

10 Apr '23

Hi Everyone! In lieu of having a CHANGE seminar on April 18th, we are co-hosting Mustafa Naseem with DUB! So join us on Wednesday April 19th from 12-1PM for an in-person seminar! http://dub.washington.edu/seminars/2023-04-19.html In order to provide food and manage in-person capacity constraints, we need an RSVP now: https://forms.gle/fcfCvRqS18oB2kxd6 The seminar will take place in the top-floor event space of the Bill & Melinda Gates Center for Computer Science & Engineering (CSE2). https://www.washington.edu/maps/#!/cse2 Food will be set out by 11:45. Plan to arrive early so you can meet others in our community and so that distractions associated with food have wrapped up by the time our talk starts. The talk will then start at approximately 12:15. Lisa, Firn, and Innocent

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[Reminder] Alphonce Odhiambo - A Devolved Internet for Meaningful Connectivity
by Innocent Obi 04 Apr '23

04 Apr '23

Hi everyone! Reminder that today @ 12 PM, we will be having our first CHANGE talk of the quarter (we are still hybrid!). We will be hearing from Alphonce Odhiambo from Tunapanda Community Networks in Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya. Alphonce's talk is titled "A Devolved Internet for Meaningful Connectivity". Tunapanda Institute is one of the oldest community networks in Africa! *Description* The Internet has become a critical part of community livelihoods. However, the Internet was designed in a way that doesn't meet the needs of a number of remote, underserved, and marginalized communities. Devolution of the internet has a potential to intersect and change community livelihoods. How do community networks play a part? This talk will discuss some ongoing efforts in Africa to devolve the Internet to community-run and -maintained infrastructure and actors. Additionally, I'll speak to other changes beyond the technical that are necessary in order for devolution to be successful and sustainable. *Seminar Details* *Location*: Tuesdays from 12-1pm in 271 CSE2 (The Bill and Melinda Gates Center) *Zoom:* https://washington.zoom.us/j/93100061611 <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/washington.zoom.us/j/93100061611__;!!K-H…> *Presenter Bio* Alphonce is a network and infrastructure services engineer who believes in the power of knowledge as a tool for revolution. He has a deep interest and passion in technology, research, and article writing and spends most of his time exploring community networks, software development and design thinking methodologies, and the role of technology in the socio-economic and cultural heritage space. He advocates for devolved internet access to communities and internet governance through local initiatives and programs to address digital sovereignty and devolution. He is a member of Internet Society where he serves as the President of the Internet Society Kenya Chapter, he holds membership with various groups and organizations including but not limited to Engineers Beyond Borders Sweden, Technical University Alumni, and Community Networks Group, Africa School of Internet Governance, among others. Alphonce leads Obalwanda Students Association (OBSA) which is a youth-led initiative that aims to support and promote learning culture and education among young teenagers. Alphonce currently serves as the CEO of the Tunapanda Community Network which is involved in community outreach and engagement, facilitating community digital training workshops, network deployment, and maintenance. Alphonce is also the founder of Diamond Software Solutions, which aims to promote digital innovation and meaningful use of digital resources, training and mentoring young developers to become self-sufficient and innovative problem solvers. Alphonce is also a poet and enjoys martial arts. Best, UW Change Organizers ______________________

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CHI 23 Virtual Course C06: Bridging Cultural Differences with Critical Design
by Huatong Sun 07 Mar '23

07 Mar '23

Hello, If you're attending CHI 23, please consider registering for my virtual course C06 <https://chi2023.acm.org/for-authors/courses/accepted-courses/>: Bridging Cultural Differences with Critical Design in a Globalized World. This will be my second time to teach this course at CHI, and it was also offered at other international conferences (on-site or virtual) in multiple fields including IEEE Professional Communication Conference, ACM SIGDOC, Conference on College Composition and Communication, Society for Technical Communication Summit, and Conference for Association for Business Communication. *Intended Audience*: Design-minded HCI professionals and any HCI professionals who are interested in the topics such as critical design, design ethics, diversity and inclusion, global design, and cross-cultural design, and who are interested in empowering users for more inclusive communities and societies at this divisive time of the globalized world. The online course will be capped at 25 participants. *Instructor Info*: Huatong Sun is an associate professor of digital media and global design at University of Washington Tacoma. She studies how to design and innovate for usable, meaningful and empowering technology to bridge differences in a globalized world. She is the author of “Global Social Media Design” (2020, Oxford University Press, CCCC Advancement of Knowledge Award, CCCC Research Impact Award, NCTE Best Book in Technical or Scientific Communication) and “Cross-Cultural Technology Design” (2012, Oxford University Press, NCTE Best Book in Technical or Scientific Communication). She's working on a new book "Inclusive Digital Media Design for Global Users" (CRC Press). Her writing can also be found in *Fast Company* and *The Conversation*. She has won multiple awards for her community-engaged teaching, including the 2022 Jay R. Gould Award for Excellence in Teaching from the Society for Technical Communication and the Distinction in the Practice of Diversity and Inclusion Award from the Association for Business Communication. Feel free to email me if you have any questions. Huatong -------------------------------- C06: Bridging Cultural Differences with Critical Design in a Globalized World Virtual *Duration:* 2 units (2 online) *Scheduled (virtual units, if applicable):* Wednesday, April 12, 2023 Time: 16-17:15 & 17:30-18:45 PDT: 7-8:15 & 8:30-9:45 EDT: 10-11:15 & 11:30-12:45 *Course Website:* https://teach.htsun.ds.lib.uw.edu/ *Description: *Are simplicity and minimalism the universal standards for interaction design? How can we avoid stereotyping with personas in design practices? What AI algorithms and design mechanism made “digital blackface” phenomenon on social media so popular? This interactive course teaches participants to reconsider some commonly held design beliefs and routine design practices with a lens of cultural differences. Illustrated with design case studies, it introduces strategies and techniques to turn differences into design resources for inclusivity. Participants will learn essential critical design skills of creating engaging and empowering designs in a globalized world at a divisive time. Huatong Sun | 孙华彤 (she/her), Ph.D. Vice Chair, Faculty Assembly 2022-2023 Associate Professor, Digital and Social Media & Global Design School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences Global Innovation and Design Lab University of Washington Tacoma http://faculty.washington.edu/htsun/ OUP Author: Global Social Media Design (2020) & Cross-Cultural Technology Design (2012) *Upcoming Courses *(https://teach.htsun.ds.lib.uw.edu/)*: * ACM Computer-Human Interaction Conference 23: Bridging Cultural Differences with Critical Design (April 12) Rhetoric Society of America 23 Summer Workshop: Global Rhetorics of Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Design (May 25-27)

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minder- Change Seminar 3/7: Jake Okechukwu Effoduh - An African Perspective to Regulating Self-Driving Cars
by Innocent Obi 07 Mar '23

07 Mar '23

Hi Everyone! Just a reminder that today at noon we will be hearing from Jake Okechukwu Effoduh <https://www.osgoode.yorku.ca/programs/graduate-program/students/okechukwu-e…> from Osgoode Hall Law School. Jake's talk is titled "An African Perspective to Regulating Self-Driving Cars." Check out our website: www.change.washington.edu! *Description* Self-driving cars as a mode of transportation in Africa is probably more of a ‘when’ than an ‘if’ question. These autonomous vehicles that could benefit human safety by reducing human deaths from car crashes, may disadvantage Africans if the production of the technology does not adequately reflect African perspectives, including in the ethical constructions about rulemaking. *Resources for Attendees* - https://twailr.com/twail-review/issue-03-2022/jake -okechukwu-effoduh-regulating-self-driving-cars-an-african-perspective/ *Seminar Details* *Location*: Tuesdays from 12-1pm in 271 CSE2 (The Bill and Melinda Gates Center) *Zoom:* https://washington.zoom.us/j/93100061611 <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/washington.zoom.us/j/93100061611__;!!K-H…> *Presenter Bio* Jake Okechukwu Effoduh (He/Him/They) is a Vanier Scholar at the Osgoode Hall Law School, conducting doctorate research on the Legitimization of Artificial Intelligence in Africa. He is also a Queen Elizabeth Advanced Scholar with the Open Africa Innovation Research (OpenAIR), and a Partner at Praxis & Gnosis Law in Nigeria. He founded Law2Go in 2018, a digital library of human rights laws and legal services for Nigeria and he has been a human rights lawyer since 2011. With a demonstrated history of advocacy across domestic and international systems, Effoduh has worked within the justice sector in Nigeria, the West African ECOWAS human rights system, the African Human Rights Commission, and the UN Human Rights Council. Best, UW Change Organizers

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Change Seminar 3/7: Jake Okechukwu Effoduh - An African Perspective to Regulating Self-Driving Cars
by Innocent Obi 03 Mar '23

03 Mar '23

Hi Everyone! At next week's Change seminar (March 7th), we will be hearing from Jake Okechukwu Effoduh from Osgoode Hall Law School. Jake's talk is titled "An African Perspective to Regulating Self-Driving Cars." Check out our website: www.change.washington.edu! *Description* Self-driving cars as a mode of transportation in Africa is probably more of a ‘when’ than an ‘if’ question. These autonomous vehicles that could benefit human safety by reducing human deaths from car crashes, may disadvantage Africans if the production of the technology does not adequately reflect African perspectives, including in the ethical constructions about rulemaking. *Resources for Attendees* - https://twailr.com/twail-review/issue-03-2022/jake -okechukwu-effoduh-regulating-self-driving-cars-an-african-perspective/ *Seminar Details* *Location*: Tuesdays from 12-1pm in 271 CSE2 (The Bill and Melinda Gates Center) *Zoom:* https://washington.zoom.us/j/93100061611 <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/washington.zoom.us/j/93100061611__;!!K-H…> *Presenter Bio* Jake Okechukwu Effoduh (He/Him/They) is a Vanier Scholar at the Osgoode Hall Law School, conducting doctorate research on the Legitimization of Artificial Intelligence in Africa. He is also a Queen Elizabeth Advanced Scholar with the Open Africa Innovation Research (OpenAIR), and a Partner at Praxis & Gnosis Law in Nigeria. He founded Law2Go in 2018, a digital library of human rights laws and legal services for Nigeria and he has been a human rights lawyer since 2011. With a demonstrated history of advocacy across domestic and international systems, Effoduh has worked within the justice sector in Nigeria, the West African ECOWAS human rights system, the African Human Rights Commission, and the UN Human Rights Council. Best, UW Change Organizers

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Social Media and Society in India Conference
by Richard Anderson 01 Mar '23

01 Mar '23

Joyojeet Pal of University of Michigan asked me to forward this: The University of Michigan is hosting a hybrid conference on Social Media and Society in India April 7-8, 2023, featuring a host of speakers to discuss various ways in which social media is impacting contemporary life in India. Attending speakers include movie actors, activists, educators, lawyers, journalists, physicians, and entertainers, representing topics covering a range of contemporary concerns in healthcare, media, food, travel, misinformation, and activism. https://influencers.conference.si.umich.edu/ The conference is at the heels of a widely subscribed and successful event last year, the talks and archives of which are now public: http://joyojeet.people.si.umich.edu/influencers2022.htm It's a free hybrid event, and registration is now open for in-person and online attendance via zoom. In addition to the talks, we are including a feature in which attendees can have “office hours”, a 1:1 meeting with a speaker of upto 15 minutes during the conference. There is also a student session that we welcome submissions to: https://joyojeet.people.si.umich.edu/smsi-cfp.html The registration link is now live at the conference page

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Change Seminar 2/28: Ron Eglash - Computational prosthetics for a wounded body politic: designing for generative justice
by Innocent Obi 24 Feb '23

24 Feb '23

Hi Everyone! At next week's Change seminar (Feb 28th), we will be hearing from Ron Eglash <https://roneglash.org/> from the University of Michigan's School of Information. Ron's talk is titled "Computational prosthetics for a wounded body politic: designing for generative justice." Check out our website: www.change.washington.edu! *Description* Contemporary disasters – racism, environmental destruction, labor exploitation, platforms that colonize our social networks, and so on – have one feature in common: they are all examples of value that is extracted; that is, alienated from its generative source. Computational technologies can be designed to act as prosthetics for this wounded body politic: restoring the ability to generate and circulate value rather than extract it. Supported by an NSF “Future of Work” grant, we report on some initial experiments in developing methods, techniques and strategies in the design of these technologies for generative justice *Resources for Attendees* None *Seminar Details* *Location*: Tuesdays from 12-1pm in 271 CSE2 (The Bill and Melinda Gates Center) *Zoom:* https://washington.zoom.us/j/93100061611 <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/washington.zoom.us/j/93100061611__;!!K-H…> *Presenter Bio* Dr. Ron Eglash is a Professor in the School of Information at University of Michigan. He received his B.S. in Cybernetics, his M.S. in Systems Engineering, and his PhD in History of Consciousness, all from the University of California. His work as Fulbright scholar was published as African Fractals: modern computing and indigenous design <https://www.rutgersuniversitypress.org/african-fractals/9780813526140>. Other work, funded by NSF, HUD, and Department of Education, include the Culturally Situated Design Tools software suite; new practices in African architecture, and development for urban sustainability. Best, UW Change Organizers

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Reminder - Change Seminar 2/21: Morgan Wack - Beyond Fact-Checking: Exploring The Reach of Current and Future Efforts to Counter Misinformation in the Global South
by Innocent Obi 20 Feb '23

20 Feb '23

Hi Everyone! Just a reminder that tomorrow we will be hearing from Morgan Wack from UW Political Science. Morgan's talk is titled "Beyond Fact-Checking: Exploring The Reach of Current and Future Efforts to Counter Misinformation in the Global South". Check out our website: www.change.washington.edu! *Description* The talk will open with a discussion of the online misinformation ecosystem in the Global South, including the theoretical and real-world impact of regional fact-checking and social correction efforts in addressing political misinformation. Following this discussion I will detail the results of a survey-based study focused on Kenya’s 2022 General Election that tested the efficacy of ‘social truth queries’ as a novel strategy for broadening the reach of current efforts to counter misinformation. *Resources for Attendees* None *Seminar Details* *Location*: Tuesdays from 12-1pm in 271 CSE2 (The Bill and Melinda Gates Center) *Zoom:* https://washington.zoom.us/j/93100061611 <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/washington.zoom.us/j/93100061611__;!!K-H…> *Presenter Bio* Morgan is a PhD candidate in the Political Science Department at the University of Washington. He is focused on the nexus of new technologies, misinformation, and crime. Currently, He is examining the effects of the adoption of private security technologies on voter perceptions in South Africa, how elections serve to signal support for incumbents to voters in authoritarian regimes, and how misinformation travels between online and offline community networks in the Global South. In addition to his research, he serves as a Research Associate at the UW’s Center for an Informed Public (CIP) and as graduate fellow for the Center for Environmental Politics and Political Economy Forum, where he occasionally serves as host for Forum’s podcast. He is also a 2022 Junior Fellow at the Electoral Integrity Project (EIP) and an affiliate of the Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life (CITAP). Prior to his PhD he worked as an analyst for NGOs addressing a range of developmental challenges ranging from health and education to youth entrepreneurship. He has worked, lived, and conducted research across sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, and Latin America. Best, UW Change Organizers

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Change Seminar 2/21: Morgan Wack - Beyond Fact-Checking: Exploring The Reach of Current and Future Efforts to Counter Misinformation in the Global South
by Innocent Obi 16 Feb '23

16 Feb '23

Hi Everyone! At next week's Change seminar (Feb 21th), we will be hearing from Morgan Wack from UW Political Science. Morgan's talk is titled "Beyond Fact-Checking: Exploring The Reach of Current and Future Efforts to Counter Misinformation in the Global South". Check out our website: www.change.washington.edu! *Description* The talk will open with a discussion of the online misinformation ecosystem in the Global South, including the theoretical and real-world impact of regional fact-checking and social correction efforts in addressing political misinformation. Following this discussion I will detail the results of a survey-based study focused on Kenya’s 2022 General Election that tested the efficacy of ‘social truth queries’ as a novel strategy for broadening the reach of current efforts to counter misinformation. *Resources for Attendees* None *Seminar Details* *Location*: Tuesdays from 12-1pm in 271 CSE2 (The Bill and Melinda Gates Center) *Zoom:* https://washington.zoom.us/j/93100061611 <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/washington.zoom.us/j/93100061611__;!!K-H…> *Presenter Bio* Morgan is a PhD candidate in the Political Science Department at the University of Washington. He is focused on the nexus of new technologies, misinformation, and crime. Currently, He is examining the effects of the adoption of private security technologies on voter perceptions in South Africa, how elections serve to signal support for incumbents to voters in authoritarian regimes, and how misinformation travels between online and offline community networks in the Global South. In addition to his research, he serves as a Research Associate at the UW’s Center for an Informed Public (CIP) and as graduate fellow for the Center for Environmental Politics and Political Economy Forum, where he occasionally serves as host for Forum’s podcast. He is also a 2022 Junior Fellow at the Electoral Integrity Project (EIP) and an affiliate of the Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life (CITAP). Prior to his PhD he worked as an analyst for NGOs addressing a range of developmental challenges ranging from health and education to youth entrepreneurship. He has worked, lived, and conducted research across sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, and Latin America. Best, UW Change Organizers

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Reminder - Change Seminar 2/14: June Lukuyu - Spotlight Kampala: Illuminating Energy Access Inequities in Informal Urban Communities
by Innocent Obi 14 Feb '23

14 Feb '23

Hi Everyone! Just a reminder! Today, we will be hearing from June Lukuyu from UW ECE. June's talk is titled "Spotlight Kampala: Illuminating Energy Access Inequities in Informal Urban Communities". Check out our website: www.change.washington.edu! *Description* Informal settlements (commonly known as slums) – home to nearly half of sub-Saharan Africa’s urban population – face persistent inequities in the accessibility, reliability, quality, safety, and affordability of electricity service. Further, they face structural barriers to securing legal access to the electricity grid. This has created a complex informal electricity resale market of unmetered connections controlled by landlords and informal electricians, providing a marginal level of grid access and engendering new vulnerabilities. Illegally tapping into nearby distribution infrastructure results in numerous fatalities from electrocution, leaves households vulnerable to exploitation by intermediaries, costs utilities millions of dollars annually, and destabilizes the local power grid. In this talk, I will present some early findings from remote monitoring of power quality and reliability conducted in 25 informal settlements in Kampala by Spotlight Kampala – a research initiative aiming to offer actionable insight into access challenges in informal communities Kampala. The broad objectives of the projects are to gain insight into how community members meet their energy needs, the prevalence of informal connections, and for households and businesses that are connected (either formally, informally, or both), is their connection safe, reliable, high-quality, and affordable? *Resources for Attendees* None *Seminar Details* *Location*: Tuesdays from 12-1pm in 271 CSE2 (The Bill and Melinda Gates Center) *Zoom:* https://washington.zoom.us/j/93100061611 <https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/washington.zoom.us/j/93100061611__;!!K-H…> *Presenter Bio* June Lukuyu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Washington. She recently received her Ph.D. in ECE at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and an M.Sc. in Renewable Energy Systems Technologies from Loughborough University. Her research focuses on how to develop and plan for inclusive and sustainable energy systems and technologies for underserved communities, centering on promoting social development, sustainability, and human empowerment. Best, UW Change Organizers

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