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Student Research at the 2023 PIT-UN Convening
Students from across the country presented research at the 2023 PIT-UN Convening at Boston University, showcasing the breadth and depth of student interest in the growing field of public interest technology.
Topics included privacy and bias in generative AI, data science for social good, mental health in telework, and more.
Co-organizers from BU Spark! and Howard University selected three outstanding projects to recognize during the close of the 2023 Convening.
Joseph Jaiyeola, Ph.D. student at University of Texas at San Antonio, presents his research on mental health and telework. Photo by Mike Spencer.
Winning Submissions
Examining Generative Image Models Amidst Privacy Regulations
Diffusion models require vast image databases as their inputs. How should regulators approach policies concerning the collection and utilization of these images?
Hannah Ismael, UC Berkeley
Undergraduate, Legal Studies and Data Science
Experimenting with Multimodal AutoML: Detection and Evaluation of Alzheimer’s Disease
This paper describes an experiment using AutoML, AutoGluon Tabular, to dis- cover multimodal models for MMSE regression and AD detection.
Ujjawal Shah, Howard University
Undergraduate, Computer Science
Epistemic Injustice in Technology and Policy Design: Lessons from New York City’s Heat Complaints System
This paper brings attention to epistemic injustice, the unfair treatment or harm of people in relation to their role as knowers or possessors of knowledge.
Mohsin Yousufi, Georgia Tech
Ph.D Candidate, Digital Media and Human-Computer Interaction
Hannah Ismael, UC Berkeley; Mohsin Yousufi, Georgia Tech with BU Spark! Director Ziba Cranmer; Morayo Adeyimi, Brown University. Photographs by Mike Spencer
All Submissions
Thinking Beyond Fairness: Applying Abolition Ecologies to Data
I examine how data feminism and Indigenous data sovereignty provides ways to consider embodied data, weaving critical social science and data science how to merge public interest considerations of how data affects the land and us, human beings.
Amelia Lee Dogan, University of Washington
Ph.D Candidate, Information Studies
Addressing Social Problems through Public Interest Technology
This paper delves deep into the transformative power of “tech for social good” illuminating the innovative data-driven solutions embraced by the Sewanee DataLab, to address pressing social problems.
Ridhi Jhamb, University of Pennsylvania
M.S. Candidate, Data Science
Fashion Foresight: Predicting Consumer Behavior through Runway Show Analysis
By harnessing the power of historical runway show data, this paper offers a predictive model that assists retailer shops and small companies in anticipating and responding to market demands.
Aayushka Budhathoki, Howard University
Undergraduate, Computer Science
The Impact of Development on the Graniteville Wetlands
This project focuses on the development of a BJ’s Warehouse on the North Shore of Staten Island. The construction is operating on Graniteville Wetlands, which pose a threat to vulnerable communities, putting them at risk of flooding.
Grace Anna Akparanta, College of Staten Island
Undergraduate, Computer Science
Healthcare Drones on Reservations: Opportunities, Challenges, and Implications
We assess the legal, ethical, and social ramifications of using drones to deliver medications on tribal lands, using mixed methods to identify potential unintended consequences and make policy recommendations.
Lionel Gamath-Goubili, Arizona State University
M.S. Candidate, Public Interest Technology
Disparity Between the Mental and Self-Rated Health of Teleworkers and Non-Teleworkers in the United States
Utilizing data from the U.S. Census Bureau, this study examines the sociodemographic factors associated with teleworking and its effects on mental and general health outcomes.
Joseph Jaiyeola, University of Texas at San Antonio
Ph.D Candidate, Applied Demography
How Biased is Your Dataset?
This project tests datasets of interior spaces used by researchers to train vision models, to determine if they have adequate representation of non-European/American spaces.
Morayo Adeyimi, Brown University
Student Researcher, Computer Science
Review the 2023 Convening
Visit the page below for photos and videos of our two days together at Boston University, including transcripts of keynote speeches from leading public interest technologists.
