User:Goop0303/PIT-UN

Let's draft the PIT article here. Consider a frame for the article - what should we include? What should we exclude? What are some sections this article must have? If you know you want to write about a particular area, feel free to share that on this page. Be sure to include your username so others can find you. If you do not want to share your real name, please don't share it and just use your username.

Article frame: Public Interest Technology

 * Let's have framing conversations here

Robert Maloy and Sharon Edwards are trying a framing paragraph as follows.

LEAD

Public Interest Technology (PIT) is an approach to the utilization of technology to promote "the development and realization of socially responsible solutions to the challenges in a technology-driven world". It has been characterized as "people-centered problem solving" (McGuiness & Schank, 2021, p. 142, p. viii). Public Interest Technology emerged as a field of academic research and action in higher education in 2019 with the establishment of the Public Interest Technology University Network (PIT-UN) by New America.

Other definitions/documents that could be helpful with the framing (Tayo):


 * Ford Foundation definition
 * Cornell's Questions to consider in defining PIT
 * PIT definition from New America
 * Blog Post from University of Michigan PIT-KN Project
 * PIT-UN @ BU reports on state of the field
 * CMU's information page on PIT

Article sections

 * Add section ideas here - add your username if you're interested in a particular section
 * History Public Interest Technology (@revdrkt - Katie) bob maloy added ideas for the history section below in Sourcing.
 * Etymology
 * Origin of the Term as link to Public Interest Law(@TheAboveAverageStudent - EC)
 * Influences: Urban Future, Public Interest Technology, and links to other related areas of PIT (link(@egungun)
 * DEI and Public Interest Technology (@alphacyber)

As efforts around PIT promote a implementation of technology in a socially responsible manner it is imperative that broad perspective are incorporated and has been an ongoing component.

An area of increasing use of technology includes surveillance and is an area often documented that significantly affects communities of color in disproportion ways. The Brooking Institutes highlights the need for guardrails in the Police surveillance and facial recognition: Why data privacy is imperative for communities of color Georgetown University addressed the long standing history of surveillance overreach and the implications of the lack of a social framework in the Color of Surveillance Conference

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 * Academic programs, degree pathways and certifications in Public Interest Technology (@Goop0303 - Jiyoo Jeong). Perhaps we can subdivide this idea using a framework like this one to offer examples of different types of programs and pathways. My list is just a start and a draft suggestion for how to organize the information (drafted by Bob Maloy and Sharon Edwards).
 * CERTIFICATE:
 * The University of Massachusetts Amherst College of Information & Computer Science offers CICS 127, Introduction to Public Interest Technology as a course for undergraduates. It is the mandatory introductory course for the University's All-Campus Public Interest Technology certificate. The PIT certificate's structure includes required coursework in three main areas: Social Literacy; Public Interest Literacy; and Tech Literacy.
 * Carnegie Mellon University: Public Interest Technology Certificate
 * 6 month, interdisciplinary program in data management, digital innovation, and AI leadership.
 * University of Michigan: Graduate certificate in Science & Technology for the public good
 * "Communities are increasingly concerned they do not benefit from research and development, and that the risks of emerging technologies may outweigh their benefits. We bring a rigorous interdisciplinary lens to understanding these concerns, and translating them to policymakers, engineers, scientists, and civil society to produce more equitable and just science, technology, and related policies."
 * ACADEMIC MINOR: The John Glenn College of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University offers a 12-13 credit academic minor in Science and Engineering in the Public Interest.
 * CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION: Heinz College at Carnegie-Mellon University through its executive education program offers a Public Interest Technology Certificate (PITC) for civic and government leaders focusing on data management, digital innovation, and AI leadership.
 * MASTERS DEGREE:
 * Arizona State University offers an online Masters degree in Public Interest Technology.
 * PROGRAMS: The Mass Aggie Seed Library at the University of Massachusetts Amherst collects and provides free access to hundreds of varieties of organic, open-pollinated and heirloom vegetable and flower seeds.
 * Career paths in Public Interest Technology
 * Notable PIT practitioners
 * Futurisms and Public Interest Technology (@Goop0303 - Jiyoo Jeong (this is interesting but not sure what it means!)
 * PIT-Related Activities in Other Academic Fields (section below is drafted by Bob Maloy and Sharon Edwards)
 * PIT-Related Activities in Other Academic Fields (section below is drafted by Bob Maloy and Sharon Edwards)

PIT-Related Activities in Other Academic Fields
A number of academic fields engage in activities that are connected to and support the goals of public interest technology, including history, science, journalism, engineering, and law.

History
Public History is an area in the field of history where professional and non-professional researchers seek to provide historical information to people and communities. The Department of History, Geography and Philosophy at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette defines public history as "the use of historical skills and methods outside of the traditional academic realm of history. Public historians use their training to meet the needs of the community-the public-whether that community is defined as a city, a neighborhood, a business, or a historical society."

Technology provides public historians with multiple ways to conduct and share their research. The New England Journal of History, an online publication housed at Dean College in Massachusetts has an entire section designed to publish the work of community members who use video cameras to record history in their backyards.

Science
Citizen science involves efforts by everyday, non-professional community members to contribute and support the development of scientific information in a variety of fields. Eclipse Soundscapes, a NASA-funded citizen science project, is designed to involve non-scientists in the study of how eclipses impact people and environments.

Technology is central to the work of citizen scientists. The National Park Service stated: "Citizen scientists may design experiments, collect data, analyze results, and solve problems. In national parks, most citizen scientists collect data with tools provided by project directors. These data help professional scientists and resource managers answer scientific questions and solve important problems. And the activity helps participants build meaningful connections to science."

Here is an example of Citizen Science that involves using technology for the Public Interest: The Great Backyard Bird Count, a citizen science initiative that encourages volunteers to observe birds in their communities and log their findings into the eBird database, begins its 25th year today. Around 385,000 people from 192 countries participated in the four-day program last year, and the data is used by researchers to track bird species and direct conservation efforts.

Link to article about this Bird Count from Associated Press

https://apnews.com/article/great-backyard-bird-count-citizen-science-cornell-audubon-8aff018dd0e36c12f9539698d95758d9

Journalism
Public interest journalism involves researching and reporting on issues of interest and relevance to people and communities. According to The Charitable Journalism Project, it is "journalism that serves the interests of the public." The Public Interest Journalism Initiative, established in Melbourne, Australia and in partnership with the University of Melbourne, is a news and public policy organization.

In 2023, The Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University, in partnership with the Rita Allen Foundation announced plans to fund cross-field civic science journalism collaborations intended to build awareness of civic science issues and potential solutions.

Engineering
Public interest engineering is centered around the development of human and environmentally sustainable structures and system. Public interest design focuses on collaborative efforts to incorporate the public good in designing products, structures, and systems. The Code of Ethics for Engineers from the National Society of Professional Engineers states "Engineers shall at all times strive to serve the public interest."

Law
Public interest law is rooted in the commitment that members of the legal profession have to being an advocate for all members of society, especially those who lack the financial resources to advocate for themselves in the legal and justice system. Free legal aid for those who cannot afford representation is a well-known form of public interest law in the United States.

Government
e-Government (also known as digital government) is the use of digital technologies to provide important governmental services to people and communities.

The U.S. federal government has multiple initiatives involving using technology to support public interest and improved government. The United States Digital Service offers technology support to agencies of the federal government. The U.S. Digital Corps offers internships designed to help build a federal government workforce skilled in using technology to address local, state, national, and global needs. TechCongress places individuals with technology skills and backgrounds as technology policy advisors to Members of Congress. The 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act, passed in 2018, aims to improve how the public interacts with information on federal government websites.

Sourcing ideas

 * Add any sourcing ideas/concerns here

Ideas for the history of PIT section:

The idea of public interest technology has antecedents in the mission of land-grant institutions that were established by the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890 to provide publicly funded agriculture and technical education. Over time, land-grant institutions have evolved into large comprehensive four year colleges and universities offering education and preparation in a wide range of fields and professions. There is at least one land-grant institution in every state, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. Land-grant institutions operate with a three-part mission of teaching, research, and community engagement/public service.

Using technology for the broad public interest was also part of the Tim Berners-Lee's vision for the World Wide Web. He recalled "my growing realization that there was a power in arranging ideas in an unconstrained, weblike way."

<<we might want to include this in a "further reading" section

Here are resources and sources from Robert Maloy and Sharon Edwards

ONE UNIVERSITY'S PIT DEFINITION: Public Interest Technology (PIT) focuses on the development and realization of socially responsible solutions to the challenges in a technology-driven world. It serves as a critical foundation for 21st century education and a driver for research that addresses complex problems and advances solutions with positive community impact.

From UMass Amherst PIT website: https://groups.cs.umass.edu/pit/public-interest-technology-faculty-fellowship-cy2023/

ARTICLE: 5 Reasons You Might Be a Public Interest Technologist. Ford Foundation

https://www.fordfoundation.org/news-and-stories/stories/posts/5-reasons-you-might-be-a-public-interest-technologist/

BOOK: Technology and the Public Interest. Haochen Sun. Cambridge University Press, 2022.

BOOK: A Civic Technologist's Practice Guide. Cyd Harrell. FiveSevenFive Books, 2020.

"civic tech is a loosely integrated movement that brings together the strengths of the private-sector tech world (its people, methods, or actual technology) to public entities with the aim of making government more responsive, efficient, modern, and more just" (Harrell, p. 17). BOOK: Power to the Public: The Promise of Public Interest Technology. T.D. McGuiness & H. Schank. Princeton University Press, 2021.

BOOK: Power to the Public: The Promise of Public Interest Technology. T.D. McGuiness & H. Schank. Princeton University Press, 2021.

Public interest technology offers a "framework to consider how to advance and protect human rights in a digital world. It argues for a systematic way of studying technology in the world -- including unforeseen and adverse consequences" (McGuiness & Schank, p. 142).

Public interest technology is "people-centered problem solving" (McGuiness & Schank, p. 142, p. viii).

SPECIAL ISSUE: Co-Designing the Future with Public Interest Technology ''IEEE Technology and Society Magazine IEEE Technol. Soc. Mag. Technology and Society Magazine, IEEE''. 40(3):10-15 Sep, 2021.

This special issue is dedicated to the theme of public interest technology (PIT) [1]. "PIT acknowledges that technological potential can be harnessed to satisfy the needs of civil society. In other words, technology can be seen as a public good that can benefit all, through an open democratic system of governance, with open data initiatives, open technologies, and open systems/ecosystems designed for the collective good, as defined by respective communities that will be utilizing them."

THE authors identify related initiatives in specific professional fields or disciplines to serve the public interest, including:


 * Public history
 * Citizen science (has its own Wikipedia page)
 * Public interest journalism
 * Public interest engineering
 * Public interest law

Exploring this idea further, I found the web link What is Public History? from the Department of History, Geography and Philosophy at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette defines public history as "the use of historical skills and methods outside of the traditional academic realm of history. Public historians use their training to meet the needs of the community-the public-whether that community is defined as a city, a neighborhood, a business, or a historical society."

https://technologyandsociety.org/co-designing-the-future-with-public-interest-technology/

Parking for consideration - @TheAboveAverageStudent

How Engineers Think and Implications for Public Interest Technology https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9527339

Developing public interest technology for the future https://news.asu.edu/20201207-developing-public-interest-technology-future

Useful links

 * we can link to other sandboxes or useful sources here
 * https://www.betterup.com/blog/diversity-in-tech
 * Citizen science
 * Sociotechnology
 * Civic technology
 * Mechanism design for social good
 * Social Data Science