I've been at the U of Utah and Salt Lake City for 14 years (14.5 really). It was my first academic job and the longest time I've spent anywhere (throughout my whole life). So it's a little hard to accept that I'm moving to my next adventure.
It's a two-part adventure, because why make one move when you can make two.
Firstly, as of today, I'm going to working with Alondra Nelson at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, advising on matters relating to fairness and bias in tech systems. This is a scary and exciting new position, and I hope to help to nudge things along just a bit further in the direction of tech that can help more than it harms, especially for those who've been left behind in our rush to an algorithmically controlled future.
Secondly, I'm moving to Brown University to join the CS department there as well as their Data Science Initiative. Together with Seny Kamara and others, I'm going to start a new center on Computing for the People, to help think through what it means to do computer science that truly responds to the needs of people, instead of hiding behind a neutrality that merely gives more power to those already in power.
Lots of changes, and because of the pandemic, all this will happen in slow machine, but it's a whirlwind of emotions (and new clothes - apparently tech conference T-shirts don't work in formal settings - WHO KNEW!!!).
