Information Justice, Human Rights, and Technology Ethics
Supporting information and technology practices and policies that break down barriers.
Research Projects
P3 (Pregnancy and Postpartum/Preconception) EQUATE (Enhancing Access and Quality to Achieve Equitable Maternal and Infant Health) Network
Principal Investigator(s): Jasmine Garland McKinney
Funder: American Heart Association Other Non-Federal
Research Areas: Accessibility and Inclusive Design > Data Science, Analytics, and Visualization > Health Informatics > Information Justice, Human Rights, and Technology Ethics
This project validates the Prepartum Form for Evaluating Race-Related Psychological Stressors (PP-FERRPS)©, a screening tool designed to measure how race-related stressors affect Black perinatal women’s mental health. By refining this tool, the study aims to address gaps in traditional assessments and improve clinical support in maternal care.
Principal Investigator(s): Jasmine Garland McKinney
Funder: American Heart Association Other Non-Federal
Research Areas: Accessibility and Inclusive Design > Data Science, Analytics, and Visualization > Health Informatics > Information Justice, Human Rights, and Technology Ethics
This project validates the Prepartum Form for Evaluating Race-Related Psychological Stressors (PP-FERRPS)©, a screening tool designed to measure how race-related stressors affect Black perinatal women’s mental health. By refining this tool, the study aims to address gaps in traditional assessments and improve clinical support in maternal care.
CAREER: Self-Directed Human-LLM Coordination for Language Learning and Information Seeking
Principal Investigator(s): Ge Gao
Funder: National Science Foundation
Research Areas: Accessibility and Inclusive Design > Health Informatics > Human-Computer Interaction > Information Justice, Human Rights, and Technology Ethics > Machine Learning, AI, Computational Linguistics, and Information Retrieval > Youth Experience, Learning, and Digital Practices
This project uses AI-powered digital tutors to help individuals with limited majority-language proficiency improve their language skills for real-world information seeking. By enabling users to design personalized tutoring systems, the study advances language learning, AI literacy, and human-computer interaction.
Principal Investigator(s): Ge Gao
Funder: National Science Foundation
Research Areas: Accessibility and Inclusive Design > Health Informatics > Human-Computer Interaction > Information Justice, Human Rights, and Technology Ethics > Machine Learning, AI, Computational Linguistics, and Information Retrieval > Youth Experience, Learning, and Digital Practices
This project uses AI-powered digital tutors to help individuals with limited majority-language proficiency improve their language skills for real-world information seeking. By enabling users to design personalized tutoring systems, the study advances language learning, AI literacy, and human-computer interaction.
Collaborative Research: ER2: Developing Educational Resources for the Ethical Use of Pervasive Data
Principal Investigator(s): Jessica Vitak
Funder: National Science Foundation
Research Areas: Data Privacy and Sociotechnical Cybersecurity > Human-Computer Interaction > Information Justice, Human Rights, and Technology Ethics > Machine Learning, AI, Computational Linguistics, and Information Retrieval > Social Networks, Online Communities, and Social Media
This project develops educational resources and training to promote ethical practices in the collection, storage, and analysis of pervasive data from digital platforms. By creating case studies, interactive modules, and “train the trainer” programs, it aims to enhance responsible research practices among computing students and early-career researchers.
Principal Investigator(s): Jessica Vitak
Funder: National Science Foundation
Research Areas: Data Privacy and Sociotechnical Cybersecurity > Human-Computer Interaction > Information Justice, Human Rights, and Technology Ethics > Machine Learning, AI, Computational Linguistics, and Information Retrieval > Social Networks, Online Communities, and Social Media
This project develops educational resources and training to promote ethical practices in the collection, storage, and analysis of pervasive data from digital platforms. By creating case studies, interactive modules, and “train the trainer” programs, it aims to enhance responsible research practices among computing students and early-career researchers.
Faculty
Recent News
Chandler Colman ‘28 (left) and Samir Nazar ‘28 work on their final projects for “Knitting = Algorithms + Coding," one of 10 Maker Movement Approach to Computing classes offered this fall. The one-credit courses are designed to make it easier for students of all majors to learn about computing. (Photos by Dylan Singleton)
Maryland Today: Courses Bring Comfort to Learning Computing
INFO faculty bridge creativity and computing, teaching hands-on AI, coding, and design through the Maker Movement at Maryland
Photo licensed by Adobe Stock via InfiniteFlow
Building Trust in AI, One Block at a Time
A unique partnership is closing the digital divide by creating community-led AI literacy programs for underserved youth and families.
Assistant Professor Stephanie Valencia² (center) shows the Spoken app, a commercial AAC tool to help users of speech-generating devices. Photo by Craig Taylor.