Events

October 7, 2020 In Events, Fellows, News

CTSP Fellows Retreat 2020

In February, we held our first ever CTSP Retreat gathering 40+ new and former CTSP fellows, board members, and past and present co-directors throughout the all day event. The day long event featured several opportunities for new fellows to get to know each other’s projects, talk to alums about their career paths, and learn about past CTSP projects.

We are so grateful  to all the current fellows and alums who joined and participated in these critical discussions about their projects and how CTSP helped shape their research agenda, careers, and trajectories.

a group of people stand in front of a brick building

Thematic Breakout Groups

To kick off the day, new fellows gathered in thematic groups related to their CTSP project to meet the other fellows in their cohort and share their plans for the year.

  • Infrastructures
  • Power, Algorithms & Online Communities
  • Privacy & AI
  • Cybersecurity Tools & Actors

CTSP Alums Panel

Four alums reflected on their CTSP projects, sharing strategies for overcoming common challenges like gaining access to industry or government actors, and telling us how their projects led into other work.

four women seated in a row

Madelena Ng, Amy Turner, Naniette Coleman, and Mehtab Khan

Naniette Coleman, PhD Candidate in Sociology, I Regret To Inform You That Your Private Information Has Been Compromised (2017)

Mehtab Khan, JSD Candidate 2020, Affect & Facial Recognition in Hiring (2019)

Madelena Ng, DrPH Candidate in Public Health, The state of smartphone-based observational studies: ethical and practical considerations in informed consent and health data disclosure (2019)

Amy Turner, MIMS 2020, Coordinated Entry System Research and Development for a Continuum of Care in Northern California (2019)

Public Interest Technology Careers

Finally, fellows chatted with CTSP and MIMS alums, and some CTSP board members about how to bring the mission of CTSP into their work after graduation. These groups were broadly organized around the following themes:

  • Critical Design & Design Research
  • Tech Worker Organizing & Ethics
  • Government & Non-profit
  • User Experience
  • Inference, Experiments, & Data Driven Research
September 30, 2020 In Events

Social Impact Un-Pitch Day 2020

On Thursday, October 15th at 5pm the Center for Technology, Society & Policy (CTSP) and the School of Information’s Information Management Student Association (IMSA) are co-hosting the fifth annual Social Impact Un-Pitch Day!

Join CTSP and IMSA to brainstorm ideas for projects that address the challenges of technology, society, and policy. We welcome students, community organizations, local municipal partners, faculty, and campus initiatives to discuss discrete problems that project teams can take on over the course of this academic year. Teams will be encouraged to apply to CTSP to fund their projects.

This event is open to everyone – Berkeley graduate and undergraduate students, faculty, staff or affiliates, and anyone in the public.

Location: Register here for Zoom link.

Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtOiHZI4Mak

Agenda

  • 5:10 Introductions from CTSP
  • 5:20 Example Projects
  • 5:30 Sharing Un-Pitches (3 minutes per Un-Pitch)
  • 6:00 Open chat – we will leave zoom open to allow participants to connect and chat about projects and collaborations

Un-Pitches

Un-Pitches are meant to be informal and brief introductions of yourself, your idea, or your organization’s problem situation. Un-pitches can include designing technology, research, policy recommendations, and more. Students and social impact representatives will be given 3 minutes to present their Un-Pitch. In order to un-pitch, please share 1-3 slides, as PDF and/or a less than 500-word description—at this email: ctsp@berkeley.edu. You can share slides and/or description of your ideas even if you aren’t able to attend. Deadline to share materials: midnight October 14th, 2020.

Submit your un-pitch idea here.

If you are unable to attend, but have an idea to un-pitch, still submit it and one of the co-directors will present your un-pitch at the event.

Funding Opportunities

The next application round for fellows will open in November. CTSP’s fellowship program will provide small grants to individuals and small teams of fellows for 2019. CTSP also has a recurring offer of small project support.

Prior Projects & Collaborations

Here are several examples of projects that members of the I School community have pursued as MIMS final projects or CTSP Fellow projects (see more projects from 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020).

 

Skills & Interests of Students

The above projects demonstrate a range of interests and skills of the I School community. Students here and more broadly on the UC Berkeley campus are interested and skilled in all aspects of where information and technology meets people—from design and data science, to user research and information policy.

December 5, 2019 In AFOG, Events

“The perverse absent-presence”: Disability and the perception of archival representation

Join CTSP, AFOG, and the UC Berkeley Disability Studies in welcoming Gracen Brilmyer, a 2016 CTSP fellow and MIMS 2016 alum, as they present research for their dissertation in the Department of Information Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). To make this event accessible for all guests, we ask for your help in making this event FRAGRANCE-FREE [details below].

When: February 4th, 2020, 4:10 – 5:30 pm
Where: South Hall, Room 202

For disabled people, how we see ourselves in history matters. Disabled minds and bodies have historically entered into archival records through the criminalization of disabled—and other marginalized—identities, resulting in the creation of legal, medical, and institutional records making up the majority of records documenting disability. And this, in turn effects the ways in which disability is understood; as disability is often simplified to a medical deficit, a ‘problem’ to be fixed, records such as these have the potential to reinforce stereotypes, perpetuate harmful rhetorics, and limit the perception of disability as purely a medical ‘problem’ of the body or mind.

Lying at the intersection of archival studies, disability studies and qualitative research, this presentation addresses the ways in which disabled people use archives, witness themselves in history, and understand their collective identity. Given that disabled people are often documented through violent processes—such as asylums, arrest records, and medical interventions—this research investigates disabled people’s complicated relationships with historical representation. Through interviews with disabled scholars, artists, activists and community members, this research highlights (1) how we witness the violences of the past through archives, (2) how we often expect to be erased in history, yet, (3) even though much documentation about disabled people is made by people in power, we can complicate the limited perspectives of this documentation and understand it as part of a history of oppression. By centering disabled people’s voices, this presentation considers not only how archival misrepresentation impacts the ways in which non-disabled people may perceive disability, but also how we understand ourselves—as individuals, as a collective, and as part of a political history—in order to demonstrate the complexity of our relationships to archives.

Gracen Brilmyer is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Information Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where they are also pursuing a certificate in gender studies. Their research lies at the intersection of disability studies, archival studies, and the history of science, where they address coloniality, affect, and disability, primarily within natural history. Their work has been published in Archival Science and Archivaria, and various other journals. They have also published a poster, “Dismantling White Supremacy in Archives,” with Michelle Caswell in the Library Quarterly. They have a background working with biological collections and hold a Master of Information Management and Systems from University of California Berkeley.

Fragrance-Free Event
To make this event accessible for all guests, we ask for your help in making this event FRAGRANCE-FREE. Please refrain from wearing scented products such as perfumes/colognes, scented lotions, clothing with strong detergent scents, etc. while attending this event as they can trigger serious health issues for those with fragrance allergies. We aim to maintain a welcoming and accessible environment for all faculty, staff, students, and visitors. Thank you for your consideration for all members of our community. More info can be found at: http://eastbaymeditation.org/accessibility/scentfree.html

This event will be live captioned and ASL interpreted. The room is wheelchair accessible via elevator. To request any other accessibility accommodations, please contact: Anne Jonas annejonas@berkeley.edu

Co-sponsored by AFOG and UC Berkeley Disability Studies.

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November 15, 2019 In Call for Proposals, Events

Information Session for 2020 Fellow Applications

Interested in applying to be a 2020 CTSP fellow? Come to an information session on Wednesday, Nov. 20th at 4:30 PM in South Hall Room 6 (in the basement).

A reminder about eligibility and the funding model for 2020 (for more details see the Call for Applications):

2020 Fellowship Model

  •   Individual and Paired teams will typically receive $2,000/each.
  •   Teams with more than 2 members will receive a maximum of $5,000 total, with funding levels determined by project scope. You may optionally submit a budget detailing how your team would allocate up to $5,000.

With rare exceptions, projects must include a UC Berkeley student to be eligible. Projects that do not include a UC Berkeley student may be considered but may shift funding allocation.

UPDATE: The Information Session is past but we are sharing FAQs that came up at the session below.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need a letter of recommendation from a faculty member?

A: No. The application does not ask for a letter of recommendation from a faculty member. However, if you are proposing a project with a community partner, you should have a letter of support from the community partner.

Q: Do I need to submit a budget for my project?

A: The application does not require a budget, although you may choose to include one if you feel it would be useful.

Q: Will I need to submit receipts or other proof of expenses?

A: Not for fellowship stipends. Fellowship stipends are disbursed to fellows as unrestricted honorarium at the beginning of the fellowship year to UC Berkeley students. Fellows must acknowledge CTSP support in publications and other outputs resulting from their fellowship related work.

Q: Should my proposed project have a tangible deliverable that is described in the project proposal?

A: Proposals should include one or more clearly defined outcomes. The scope of what you or your team may propose to do is open-ended and may include a publishable paper, a detailed design or engineering prototype, a whitepaper or regulatory proposal, a public event or a documentary film. However, we acknowledge that in the course of the year your research goals may shift such that your plans for a deliverable change. That’s ok, and is in fact a common part of doing research.

Q: Do I have to produce a deliverable by the end of the fellowship year?

A:  The only final deliverable we require is a statement (approximately 1 page long) describing what you have done during your fellowship year.

Q: Can I submit more than one project proposal?

A: Yes, you can submit (or be part of a group submitting) more than one proposal. Since proposals are chosen through a blind review, each of your proposals will be evaluated separately. If a fellow is accepted to work on more than one project they will still receive one stipend.

If you still have questions about the Call for Applications, send us an email!

November 7, 2019 In Events, News

“Loved learning the latest” – A Great Night Celebrating CTSP at Google PAIR

CTSP Co-Directors Elizabeth Resor and Anne Jonas present in front of a slide that says "Center for Technology, Society & Policy" with a few images from CTSP projects

CTSP Co-Directors Elizabeth Resor and Anne Jonas offer introductory remarks

On October 22nd CTSP fellows, alums, past and current Co-Directors, faculty advisors and many members of the Bay Area technology community gathered at Google SF for an evening of talks, posters, and lots of mingling, hosted by Google’s PAIR team. Despite BART delays reminding us the ripple effects of complicated infrastructural breakdowns, we had a magical evening guided by Michelle Carney, CTSP alum and founder of MLUX, in exploring the work CTSP has done, our vision for what’s next, and the broader connections around society, policy, and technology.

4 people standing together and smiling

CTSP Faculty Advisory Board member Mike Rivera, CTSP Fellow Ayo Animashaun, Faculty Advisory Board member Alex Hughes, and Fellow Mahmoud Hamsho at the reception

We reflected on CTSP’s origins and progress over the last 5 years, exploring how Galen Panger and Nicholas Doty had prescient insight in developing a center that took seriously the politics of sociotechnical systems and recognized the cutting-edge work being done in the I School community and beyond. It has been so energizing to see CTSP fellows go on to become leading faculty, community advocates, policy-makers, and trusted advisors for the tech industry. As Jess Holbrook of PAIR reminded us, we must be wary of the powerful trying to claim expertise in developing solutions and alternatives to the very problems they have enabled, and instead look to those who have long been working collaboratively and carefully on the ground (and in the cloud) for their wisdom and best practices. We are so proud to count CTSP fellows among these experts.

Galen Panger talks with two peopel with their backs to the camera in front of a poster

CTSP Co-Founder Galen Panger networks at the poster reception

At this event, we got to hear lightning talks from four CTSP project teams and to learn more about another ten projects in posters displayed around the event space. Fellows were thrilled to make connections across cohort years and with those working on a variety of projects inside academia and out. It was especially inspiring to see how some projects have grown and continued over the years. Check out the fantastic posters above!

Franchesca Spektor presents on her team's project in front of audience

CTSP Fellow Franchesca Spektor presents on her team’s project

 

Thank you to everyone who attended and/or made a poster!

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October 8, 2019 In Events

Engage, Design, Examine: Celebrating Five Years of CTSP

Come celebrate our 5 Year Anniversary!

To celebrate this fifth year of CTSP we are hosting an event with the Google PAIR team to bring together CTSP alums and current fellows with the local technology community. Come learn about CTSP projects with lightning talks and posters addressing our core focus areas of Health + Sensors, Sustaining Democracy and Building Community, Integrating Safety & Privacy, and Just Algorithms: Fairness, Transparency, and Justice, spark connections with others committed to public interest technology, and help shape the future of CTSP!

When: Tuesday, October 22nd, 2019, 5 – 8:30pm

Where: Google SF, 345 Spear Street, SF, CA 94105

RSVP

Agenda

5:00 – doors open, social hour

6:00 – 6:15 – CTSP + PAIR Welcome!

6:15 – 6:45 – CTSP 5 Year Recap & 5 Project Talks

6:45 – 8:30 – social hour & poster session

While you learn and mingle enjoy light snacks and refreshments provided by Google!

READ MORE

August 23, 2019 In Events

Social Impact Un-Pitch Day 2019

On Thursday, September 26th at 6pm the Center for Technology, Society & Policy (CTSP) and the School of Information’s Information Management Student Association (IMSA) are co-hosting the fourth annual Social Impact Un-Pitch Day!

Join CTSP and IMSA to brainstorm ideas for projects that address the challenges of technology, society, and policy. We welcome students, community organizations, local municipal partners, faculty, and campus initiatives to discuss discrete problems that project teams can take on over the course of this academic year. Teams will be encouraged to apply to CTSP to fund their projects.

Location: Room 202, in South Hall.

RSVP here!

Livestream

Agenda

  • 6:10 Introductions from IMSA and CTSP
  • 6:15 Example Projects
  • 6:20 Sharing Un-Pitches (3 minutes per Un-Pitch)
  • 7:10 Mixer (with snacks and refreshments)

 

Un-Pitches

Un-Pitches are meant to be informal and brief introductions of yourself, your idea, or your organization’s problem situation. Un-pitches can include designing technology, research, policy recommendations, and more. Students and social impact representatives will be given 3 minutes to present their Un-Pitch. In order to un-pitch, please share 1-3 slides, as PDF and/or a less than 500-word description—at this email: ctsp@berkeley.edu. You can share slides and/or description of your ideas even if you aren’t able to attend. Deadline to share materials: midnight September 25th, 2019.

Funding Opportunities

The next application round for fellows will open in November. CTSP’s fellowship program will provide small grants to individuals and small teams of fellows for 2019. CTSP also has a recurring offer of small project support.

Prior Projects & Collaborations

Here are several examples of projects that members of the I School community have pursued as MIMS final projects or CTSP Fellow projects (see more projects from 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019).

 

Skills & Interests of Students

The above projects demonstrate a range of interests and skills of the I School community. Students here and more broadly on the UC Berkeley campus are interested and skilled in all aspects of where information and technology meets people—from design and data science, to user research and information policy.

RSVP here!

March 15, 2019 In Events

Symposium: “Governing Machines – Defining and Enforcing Public Policy Values in AI Systems”

CTSP is proud to be a co-sponsor of  the 23rd Annual BCLT/BTLJ Symposium: Governing Machines: Defining and Enforcing Public Policy Values in AI Systems

Algorithms that analyze data, predict outcomes, suggest solutions, and make decisions are increasingly embedded into everyday life. Machines automate content filtering, drive cars and fly planes, trade stocks, evaluate resumes, assist with medical diagnostics, and contribute to government decision-making. Given the growing role of artificial intelligence and machine learning in society, how should we define and enforce traditional legal obligations of privacy, non-discrimination, due process, liability, professional responsibility, and reasonable care?

This symposium will convene scholars and practitioners from law, policy, ethics, computer science, medicine, and social science to consider what roles we should allow machines to play and how to govern them in support of public policy goals.

Co-sponsored by: CTSP, the Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity, and the Algorithmic Fairness and Opacity Working Group (AFOG) at UC Berkeley.

Bonus!

Two 2017 CTSP fellows will be panelists:

  • Amit Elazari on “Trust but Verify – Validating and Defending Against Machine Decisions”
  • Uri Hacohen on “Machines of Manipulation”
September 25, 2018 In Events

October 25th: Digital Security Crash Course

Thursday, October 25, 5-7pm, followed by reception

UC Berkeley, South Hall Room 210

Open to the public!

RSVP is required.

Understanding how to protect your personal digital security is more important than ever. Confused about two factor authentication options? Which messaging app is the most secure? What happens if you forget your password manager password, or lose the phone you use for 2 factor authentication? How do you keep your private material from being shared or stolen? And how do you help your friends and family consider the potential dangers and work to prevent harm, especially given increased threats to vulnerable communities and unprecedented data breaches?

Whether you are concerned about snooping family and friends, bullies and exes who are out to hack and harass you, thieves who want to impersonate you and steal your funds, or government and corporate spying, we can help you with this fun, straightforward training in how to protect your information and communications.

Join us for a couple hours of discussion and hands-on set up. We’ll go over various scenarios you might want to protect against, talk about good tools and best practices, and explore trade offs between usability and security. This training is designed for people at all levels of expertise, and those who want both personal and professional digital security protection.

Refreshments and hardware keys provided! Bring your laptop or other digital device. Take home a hardware key and better digital security practices.

This crash course is sponsored by the Center for Technology, Society & Policy and generously funded by the Charles Koch Foundation. Jessy Irwin will be our facilitator and guide. Jessy is Head of Security at Tendermint, where she excels at translating complex cybersecurity problems into relatable terms, and is responsible for developing, maintaining and delivering comprehensive security strategy that supports and enables the needs of her organization and its people. Prior to her role at Tendermint, she worked to solve security obstacles for non-expert users as a strategic advisor, security executive and former Security Empress at 1Password. She regularly writes and presents about human-centric security, and believes that people should not have to become experts in technology, security or privacy to be safe online.

RSVP here!

August 15, 2018 In Events

Social Impact Un-Pitch Day 2018

On Thursday, October 4th at 5:30pm the Center for Technology, Society & Policy (CTSP) and the School of Information’s Information Management Student Association (IMSA) are co-hosting their third annual Social Impact Un-Pitch Day!

Join CTSP and IMSA to brainstorm ideas for projects that address the challenges of technology, society, and policy. We welcome students, community organizations, local municipal partners, faculty, and campus initiatives to discuss discrete problems that project teams can take on over the course of this academic year. Teams will be encouraged to apply to CTSP to fund their projects.

Location: Room 202, in South Hall.

RSVP here!

Agenda

  • 5:40 Introductions from IMSA and CTSP
  • 5:45 Example Projects
  • 5:50 Sharing Un-Pitches

We’ve increased the time for Un-Pitches! (Still 3-minutes per Un-Pitch)

  • 6:40 Mixer (with snacks and refreshments)

 

Un-Pitches

Un-Pitches are meant to be informal and brief introductions of yourself, your idea, or your organization’s problem situation. Un-pitches can include designing technology, research, policy recommendations, and more. Students and social impact representatives will be given 3 minutes to present their Un-Pitch. In order to un-pitch, please share 1-3 slides, as PDF and/or a less than 500-word description—at this email: ctsp@berkeley.edu. You can share slides and/or description of your ideas even if you aren’t able to attend. Deadline to share materials: midnight October 1st, 2018.

Funding Opportunities

The next application round for fellows will open in November. CTSP’s fellowship program will provide small grants to individuals and small teams of fellows for 2019. CTSP also has a recurring offer of small project support.

Prior Projects & Collaborations

Here are several examples of projects that members of the I School community have pursued as MIMS final projects or CTSP Fellow projects (see more projects from 2016, 2017, and 2018).

 

Skills & Interests of Students

The above projects demonstrate a range of interests and skills of the I School community. Students here and more broadly on the UC Berkeley campus are interested and skilled in all aspects of where information and technology meets people—from design and data science, to user research and information policy.

RSVP here!