CTDS Fellow, Dr. Jesse Lecy and Cynthia Searcy (Associate Dean GSU) have been awarded a Public Interest Technology grant
Jesse Lecy (Associate Professor ASU) and Cynthia Searcy (Associate Dean GSU) have been awarded a Public Interest Technology grant to lead efforts at formalizing a data science consortium for public affairs.
The consortium aims to deepen technical skills and ethical foundations needed to effectively harness the promise of public interest tech in the public and nonprofit sectors.
It will empower graduate programs to train future leaders through an open curriculum, instructional support, enhanced educational opportunities tailored to professional students, and clear career pathways to the public and nonprofit sectors.
The consortium will work to:
- Formalize the consortium governance structure and membership model.
- Support shared curricula that leverage open-source software, open data, evidence-based management, ethical tech, and a bias toward pragmatic action.
- Build a home for data science professionals within public affairs.
- Formalize mentorship of junior scholars to ensure our fields have the capacity to adapt to rapid changes in management and policy catalyzed by technology.
The Public Interest Tech University Network (PIT-UN) is an initiative supported by New America that "fosters collaboration between universities and colleges committed to building the nascent field of public interest technology and growing a new generation of civic-minded technologists. Through the development of curricula, research agendas, and experiential learning programs in the public interest technology space, these universities are trying innovative tactics to produce graduates with multiple fluencies at the intersection of technology and policy."