Join us for a panel discussion with computer and information scholars as we engage in critical conversations surrounding social justice issues at the intersection of information, technology, and people. A series of topics within social justice informatics will be discussed followed by Q&A. This panel will be moderated by the iSchool's REALITY Lab directors, Dr. Earl Huff Jr. and Dr. Angela D. R. Smith.
Panelists:
Kishonna L Gray
Associate Professor, Writing Rhetoric & Digital Studies, University of Kentucky
Dr. Kishonna L. Gray (@kishonnagray) is an Associate Professor in the Writing, Rhetoric, Digital Studies program at the University of Kentucky. She is an interdisciplinary, intersectional, digital media scholar whose areas of research include identity, performance and online environments, embodied deviance, cultural production, video games, and Black Cyberfeminism. Dr. Gray is the author of Intersectional Tech: Black Users in Digital Gaming (LSU Press, 2020). She is also the author of Race, Gender, & Deviance in Xbox Live (Routledge, 2014), and the co-editor of two volumes on culture and gaming: Feminism in Play (Palgrave-Macmillan, 2018) and Woke Gaming (University of Washington Press, 2018). Dr. Gray has published in a variety of outlets across disciplines and has also featured in public outlets such as The Guardian, The Telegraph, and The New York Times.
Alicia Boyd, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Associate, New York University
Alicia Boyd (she/her) is an Associate Postdoctoral Researcher at New York University. Alicia is an affiliated researcher with the Interdisciplinary Software Practice Improvement Research and Development (or INSPIRED) Lab at George Mason University and Gadiraju Lab at Wellesley College. In 2021, she received her Ph.D. in Computer Science from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. Alicia is a social-technical researcher guided by wisdom, patience, and thoughtfulness. Her interdisciplinary background is rooted in medicine, allowing her to approach technological challenges from a humanistic and reflexive approach. Her research aims to implement reflexive practices in software development, biometric practices, data annotation, trust and safety, and policy formation. She enjoys playing volleyball, traveling, reading, watching Abbott Elementary, baking artisan breads, and being an avid Baby Yoda fan in her spare time.
Siobahn Day Grady, PhD
Assistant Professor & Program Director of Information Science, School of Library and Information Sciences, North Carolina Central University
Dr. Siobahn Day Grady is an Assistant Professor and Program Director of Information Science/Systems at the School of Library and Information Sciences at North Carolina Central University. She heads the Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence and Equity Research (LAIER), co-directs the Center for Data Equity (CODE), and holds the title of an Office e-Learning faculty fellow at the same institution. Her research delves deep into the application of machine learning, targeting misinformation on social media and enhancing fault detection in autonomous vehicles. Dr. Grady is a vocal advocate for bolstering the representation of women and minorities in computer science. Recognizing the pronounced gender and racial disparities in STEM, she aspires to foster confidence in these groups, aiding them in sculpting a robust STEM identity. As an esteemed AAAS IF/THEN ambassador, Dr. Grady is at the forefront of instigating change, both through hands-on research and community outreach. Demonstrating her commitment to the future of STEM, Dr. Grady has established six merit-based, STEM-centric endowed scholarships at prominent HBCUs within the University of North Carolina System, effectively easing the financial strain on deserving students.