UIST 2020

Art of the Possible: Showcasing Data Science Solutions for a Better World

DataKind is a nonprofit organization on a mission to harness the power of data science in the service of humanity. Walking through several real-world examples of successful projects, I will share challenges and innovative approaches we’ve developed and the learnings we’ve identified as the six components of high impact, successful data for good programs. Building on these individual projects, I’ll examine what it takes to shift our work from individual interventions to systemic change that positively impacts sectors. As we collectively consider social justice in data science, I’ll discuss principles of civic engagement, best practices for ethical AI, and how co-designing inclusive projects allows diverse inputs to return equitable outcomes. The time is ripe for data scientists to tackle systemic challenges across humanitarian and environmental sectors. What can you do to advance Data for Good?

Bio

Afua Bruce is Chief Program Officer for DataKind. She joined DataKind from New America, where she was the Director of Engineering for the Public Interest Technology program. At New America, Afua oversaw projects in technology and policy to improve outcomes in criminal justice reform, foster care, immigration, the opioid epidemic, and more. She also supervised the Public Interest Technology University Network. Previously, she spent several years leading science and technology strategy and program management in the Federal government—as the Executive Director of the White House’s National Science and Technology Council and in a variety of positions at the FBI. Prior to joining the Federal government, Afua started her career as a software engineer at IBM. Afua holds a degree in Computer Engineering from Purdue University, and an MBA from the University of Michigan.

Design Justice and User Interface Design

In this keynote talk, Dr. Costanza-Chock will explore the theory and practice of design justice, discuss how universalist design principles and practices erase certain groups of people — specifically, those who are intersectionally disadvantaged or multiply burdened under the matrix of domination (white supremacist heteropatriarchy, ableism, capitalism, and settler colonialism) — and invite us to consider how user interface design can contribute to building "a better world, a world where many worlds fit; linked worlds of collective liberation and ecological sustainability."

Bio

Sasha Costanza-Chock (they/them or she/her) is a researcher and designer who works to support community-led processes that build shared power, move towards collective liberation, and advance ecological survival. They are known for their work on networked social movements, transformative media organizing, and design justice. Sasha is currently a Research Scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a Senior Research Fellow at the Algorithmic Justice League (ajlunited.org), and a Faculty Affiliate with the Berkman-Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University. They are the author of two books and numerous journal articles, book chapters, and other research publications. Their new book, Design Justice: Community-Led Practices to Build the Worlds We Need, was published by the MIT Press in 2020. Sasha is a board member of Allied Media Projects (alliedmedia.org) and a member of the Steering Committee of the Design Justice Network (designjustice.org).