S&T’s Public Interest Technology University Network (PIT-UN) program is part of the Center for Science, Technology, and Society (CSTS). The CSTS provides an intellectual space for scholars and students to work together on critical issues related to technical problems and controversies from a global and interdisciplinary perspective.
While S&T’s formal involvement with the Public Interest Technology University Network (PIT-UN) is recent, our dedication to public interest technology is evident in the research we conduct, the curriculum we offer our students, both classroom-based and experiential, our degree programs, and the career support we provide.
Simply put, public interest technology refers to a set of practices that guide the design, deployment and governance of technology in ways that advance the public interest. It’s interdisciplinary by nature. It includes technical fields like computer science and engineering, but also law, policy, economics, movement building, the social sciences and the humanities. It’s informed by the knowledge of experts, of course, but also by the everyday experiences of ordinary people whose lives and wellbeing are increasingly defined by technology.
If your teaching or research touches on the importance of public interest technology, please contact Dr. Casey Canfield. S&T’s ability to build upon the work we’re already doing in this discipline depends largely on us having a comprehensive view across the university.
As the field of public interest technology evolves and expands, so too does the work being undertaken at S&T. Our plans include hosting lectures delivered by experts in the field, facilitating collaborations across the S&T community and helping the public interest technology ecosystem stay inspired by publicizing – and celebrating – innovative and interesting projects and individuals. In the future we hope to enhance existing degree programs with a public interest technology component, and launch new ones.
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To stay current on what’s happening with the PIT-UN program, please contact Dr. Kathleen Sheppard to have your name added to the CSTS mailing list.