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The Public Interest Technology (PIT) Fellowship, a pilot program at ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ (ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½), was designed to provide participating undergraduate and graduate PIT Fellows with critical, hands-on experience at the intersection of technology and policy while strengthening ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½â€™s PIT infrastructure.

The project provided 7 PIT Fellows (five completing) from a variety of academic backgrounds with classroom education and hands-on engagement on public interest technology projects with local nonprofits and government agencies.

Fellows, selected during the Fall 2022 semester and mentored by 8 ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ faculty, participated in bi-weekly PIT seminars during Spring 2023.  In Summer 2023, fellows were supported by grant-funded stipends to work with partnering nonprofit organizations and government agencies on PIT-focused projects, with guidance and support from faculty mentors. 

Bi-weekly seminar topics included integrated data in child well-being; military ethics and emerging technology; bias in ML ranking algorithms; ethical considerations in AI/ML and data science; data science for real-time water quality analysis; IoT in city park operations; digital equity in urban areas; health data literacy; and equitable neighborhood revitalization.

Partnering nonprofits and government entities presented potential projects at the seminars, acquainting students not only with PIT topics and issues, but also with partnering organizations. The seminar sessions were recorded with permission in order to make the knowledge shared, discussions held and lessons learned available to the community at large.

We are delighted to share available video links to the seminar recordings below.

• "PIT Fellowship Seminar Series Kickoff," Nick Barendt (Executive Director, Institute for Smart, Secure and Connected Systems (ISSACS), ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½). .
• "Public Interest Technology," Brian Gran, PhD (Professor, Department of Sociology, ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½). .
• "Military Ethics and Emerging Technology," Shannon French, PhD (Inamori Professor of Ethics, ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½). .
• "Smart Lake Erie Watershed," Ebie Holst (Director, Clusters and Innovation, Cleveland Water Alliance). .
• "Public Data Systems for Public Health," Darcy Freedman, PhD, MPH (Swetland Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½). .
• "Tech in Government," Catherine Tkachyk (Chief Innovation & Performance Officer, Cuyahoga County). .
• "Bias in Machine Learning and Ranking Algorithms," Harold Connamacher, PhD (Professor of Computer and Data Sciences, ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½). .
• "Data science and integrated data to inform child well-being," Robert Fischer, PhD (Associate Professor & Director, Center on Poverty & Community Development, ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½). .
• "ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ PIT Fellows: Ongoing data collection efforts at Cleveland Metropark's," Anthony Joy (Chief Information Officer, Cleveland Metropark's) and Nathan W. Byer, PhD (Research Manager, Cleveland Metropark's). .
• "Public Interest Technology: Designing for Health," Ronald Hickman, PhD, RN (Ruth M. Anderson Endowed Chair, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½). .
• "Autonomous Vehicles: Design, Operation and Ethical Considerations," Kenneth A. Loparo, PhD (Arthur L. Parker Professor Emeritus, Department of Engineering, ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½).
• "RMG Permit Denial: Using Mixed Method Data Analysis to Influence Regulatory Decisions," Christina Yoka (Chief of Air Pollution Outreach, Cleveland Department of Public Health, Air Quality Division). .
• "Bridging the Digital Equity Divide," Joshua Edmonds (Chief Executive Officer, DigitalC). .
• "Digitization & Modernization in the Public Sector," Froilan Roy C. Fernando (Chief Innovation and Technology Officer, City of Cleveland) and Ricardo Reinoso (Digital Equity & Inclusion Manager, City of Cleveland). .
• "Stakeholder Collaboration: Leveraging Strengths for Generative Connections," Ronald Fry, PhD (Professor of Organizational Behavior, ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½). .
• "Cleveland Neighborhood Progress: Climate Resiliency and Sustainability," Divya Sridhar (Manager of Climate Resiliency and Sustainability, CNP). .

The ISSACS PIT-UN Fellowships were made possible through funding made available via the , which is a partnership organized by New America, that fosters collaboration between universities and colleges committed to building the nascent field of public interest technology and growing a new generation of civic-minded technologists.