CENTER FOR DIGITAL CIVIL SOCIETY
THE POWER AND PROMISE OF DATA
Dear Curtis,
As the Founding Director of the Center for Digital Society at the University of San Diego (USD), I am delighted to provide you with this report to share our accomplishments to date. None of this would be possible without your generosity, and I am very grateful for your support.
Like you, I’m excited by the power and promise of data to inspire significant change in the world, and I’m eager to inspire and prepare more students to actively take part in what’s to come. Before returning to USD to start the Center, I was working in industry tackling tough challenges at the intersection of data, privacy, security, and technology I saw firsthand the need for practitioners to take a broader view of what it means to build responsibly, with a duty of care My vision for the Center is to engage faculty, students, community members, and practitioners toward a goal of forging a new social contract that empowers people to engage with conversations about data
We've made strides with each of these groups over the past 18 months We created an advisory council, designed and taught an undergraduate course (in collaboration with USD’s Humanities Center) and a graduate course on ethics in artificial intelligence, and ran a summer internship program for four undergraduate students from across campus. Additionally, we work with The Data Science Alliance, developing a new framework for responsible data science and The Ethical Tech Project.
I had an opportunity to connect with community members through the League of Women Voters in San Diego and through USD's new podcast, "At the Edge of it All," and to connect with practitioners by giving invited talks on how to build products with respect for the people represented by the data.
I hope you enjoy seeing how your support has been used since we began this Center We could not do this without you And we are just getting started
Thank you for your generosity and happy holidays!!
Best regards,
Dr. Maritza Johnson '05
December
Founding Director, Center for Digital Civil Society
2022
Digital Civil Society Summer Internship
"My internship with Data Curious allowed me the privilege of collaborating to analyze the use of personal data and promote a respectful data ecosystem I was tasked to create statistical analyses of daily usage of people’s data With the research I conducted, I was able to view the different approaches taken by large companies and how personal data is monetized I feel empowered by the knowledge I have gained, and I have applied this understanding in my education at USD in the Business Analytics department. I am showcasing how our student body can be more civically engaged with our data usage. I am honored to have been a part of showcasing the Center for Digital Civil Society Program and I hope students will become more involved in positively impacting our data ecosystem " Alyssa Mahoe ’23, Business Analytics
"My experience working with Data Curious was one I’ll never forget! It was such a pleasure having the opportunity to learn from mentors such as Cassia Artanegara, Maritza Johnson, Will Monge, and the rest of the team They taught me the complexity and importance of being aware of our digital footprint while also recognizing the privilege that technology truly is. I’m so honored to have collaborated on projects such as website design and database creation with fellow USD students across such a diverse collection of disciplines. I’m now continuing to pursue a degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering, and enjoy reflecting upon and sharing my findings from this past summer " Celine Yacoub ’24. Industrial and Systems Engineering
"My experience working for Data Curious through the Center of Digital Society at USD was invaluable in exposing me to the ever important issue of data privacy while giving me the opportunity for the practical application of skills and knowledge I have learned over the past four years at USD My fellow interns were trusted by our managers to work on projects that had a direct impact on the Data Curious website and organization as a whole As I look forward to graduation and pursuing a career in marketing, I am incredibly thankful for the Center of Digital Society for giving me the opportunity to engage in marketing projects such as leading Data Curious’ first advertising campaign, writing a marketing/business plan for the organization, and engaging with the public to understand their concerns about data collection and data privacy "
Tommy Hogan ’23, Business
"My time at Data Curious was transformative in every way I gained a deeper understanding of the digital world and encouraged others to ask meaningful questions and make informed decisions about their data. The knowledge I gained in how data is being collected, analyzed, and disseminated are not only crucial to any industry that I pursue in the future but also to everyday life. As a senior graduating in May, I have been applying to jobs with this critical knowledge in mind " Clara Galusha ’23, Arts and Sciences
Building the Center for Digital Civil Society
Beginning in the Spring of 2021, visioning sessions were held with faculty across campus to imagine what the CDCS could bring to USD and the world.
Students
Strategic Initiatives
EDUCATE
What do our core audiences need to know?
Topics include appreciative inquiry, qualitative research methods, how to work with data, data ethics, security and privacy, data rights, data literacy, and AI today and tomorrow.
CONVENE
Who do you need to know and how do you leverage your expertise while seeking partnership to fill the gaps?
Our stakeholders will engage with one another and the Center team through a variety of on and off campus programs.
Importantly, all three will be involved in each convening, optimizing the opportunity for cross-pollination and potential collaborations
What is needed to understand how to use data ethically and responsibly?
This includes equipping stakeholders tools and resources to be used in the day-to-day application of building and maintaining data systems.
ENABLE
Industry
Faculty Digital Citizens Community Organizations Data Scientists
Leaders Strategic Objectives
Meet the Advisory Council
The Advisory Council consists of volunteers who work in close collaboration with the Center’s leadership to set strategy, reflect on and incorporate learnings, and to provide financial and governance oversight. The council supports brand building efforts, and leverages their network, passions and insights to help the Center grow and increase its impact.
AI in the Community
League of Women Voters Working Groups and Boards
Public Surveillance vs. Personal Privacy Dr. Johnson partners with Data Science Alliance to develop a framework for responsible data science as a member of the Responsible Data Working Group
On April 6th 2022, Dr. Johnson spoke with the League about emerging technologies and how to think about the implications for your personal privacy.
Member of the Ethical Tech Project Board
Dana DiFerdinando
Chief Data Officer GE Healthcare
Nathan Good Chief Scientist, President, Founder Good Research
Cat Hicks VP of Research Insights Pluralsight
Di Le Senior Staff AI/ML Design Strategist ServiceNow
Alison Lentz Director of Strategy & Experience Google Research
Jim VanderMey Chief Innovation Officer Open Systems Technologies
Ethics in Artificial Intelligence
We created a new course for USD's Applied Artificial Intelligence Master's Degree program.
Course description: We will examine issues and consequences of increasing use of AI and related technologies. We will consider a range of possible problems arising from AI and how researchers and policy makers might address them. We will investigate how AI could be adapted to operate within safety, ethical, and legal limits.
November 2021 - Berryville Institute of Machine Learning
Dr. Johnson was invited to give speak about Data Privacy and Machine Learning. Her talk addressed the pitfalls of mistaken assumptions in machine learning, and the importance of centering ML product design in human experience.
July 2021 - Medtronic
Guest Lecture Series
Dr. Johnson was invited to speak to Medtronic's Ethical Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence interest group about the intentional design of systems to mitigate bias and better serve society
August 2022 - Your Relationship with Data: What’s the Deal?
Dr. Johnson was invited to speak at SuperSet's inaugural SuperSummit event. With an audience of software engineers, researchers, and product managers, she led attendees in a structured conversation about identifying their role and responsibility in building toward data dignity for the people who use the products we build.
Looking Forward
As we move into the Center’s third year, we are excited about focusing our efforts on exploring steps that builders could take to ensure knowledge and agency for the people they build for, developing new curriculum, and also contributing to building new technology to secure communications over 5G with our collaborators at SRI, Confidencial, and Good Research on an NSF funded research project.
Through our work with industry and conversations with The Ethical Tech Project, we’re looking forward to conceptualizing technology data dignity in a way that product teams could build, and also designing curriculum for our undergraduates to both contribute to the technology and take part in a conversation about the role of data and technology in society. We will also host a conference on campus this Spring in collaboration with faculty from the philosophy department, Ethical Decision in Technological Societies.
Thank you for your transformational philanthropy to the Center for Digital Civil Society. Your support has had an immense impact on our students and the industry.
