IOC Co-Director Katharine Lusk part of award winning grant from New Venture Fund on Public Interest Technology

IOC Co-Director Katharine Lusk and Azer Bestavros, Associate Provost for Computing and Data Sciences at Boston University, have been awarded a grant from the New Venture Fund to conduct a comprehensive scan of public interest technology (PIT) activities taking place at the 43 Public Interest Technology University Network member institutions.

The project aims to:

1. Provide a rigorous and comprehensive baseline of student-oriented, faculty-oriented and institutional activities, including related courses and degrees, and practices being undertaken to advance the field of PIT
2. Evaluate the degree to which “public interest technology” is entering academic lexicon
3. Understand the trajectory of member institutions from ‘nascent’ to ‘mature’, and associate activities and practices, in order to provide a roadmap for new members

The Public Interest Technology University Network (PIT-UN) was created to propel the study and application of technology expertise with the goal of advancing the public interest, generating public benefits, and promoting the public good. Specifically, PIT-UN supports member universities and colleges as they develop the field of public interest technology through interdisciplinary curriculum, experiential learning, pipeline development, and new systems of faculty recognition, and by nurturing a peer community. The IOC is currently hiring Graduate and Undergraduate Research Assistants to assist with the project this summer.