Science and technology

Showing 61 - 90 of 98 results

News

Expanding participation in science and technology policy through civil society partnerships

Nov 4, 2021

A grant from the Ford Foundation will facilitate consultation, research, and implementation solutions with community organizations to promote science and technology for the public good. Technology has the power to transform lives for the better...

Expanding participation in science and technology policy through civil society partnerships

News

Ford School represented in U-M student delegation at COP26

Nov 4, 2021

University of Michigan graduate students and their faculty adviser are attending the two-week COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland. The students will observe the negotiations, attend side events and interact with various experts. U-M has sent...

Ford School represented in U-M student delegation at COP26

In the Media

Parthasarathy on the racial reckoning in science and medicine

Oct 4, 2021 AP News

The family of Henrietta Lacks, a Black woman whose cells have been used to develop numerous scientific and medical innovations, is suing a biotechnology company for selling her cells. Shobita Parthasarathy provided insight into the lawsuit. “We are...

The politics of inclusive innovation in international development: Menstrual hygiene management and sanitary pads in India

News

Green calls for increased regulation with government use of algorithms

Sep 22, 2021

Do algorithms help or hinder human decision-making? In a recent op-ed for The Hill, Ben Green, an assistant professor and postdoctoral scholar, argues that policymakers need to consider how humans interact with AI when regulating the use of AI in...

Green describes practical problems with algorithm oversight

Alumni spotlight

STPP alum Michelle Brechtelsbauer (MPP '16) works to impact zero-carbon energy

Aug 18, 2021

Michelle Brechtelsbauer (MPP '16) interrupted her government service to obtain her Ford School Master of Public Policy and the Science, Technology, & Public Policy Graduate Certificate Program. Now in the private sector, at the Energy Impact Center,...

STPP alumni webinar with Michelle Brechtelsbauer (MPP '16 and STPP '16)

In the Media

Parthasarathy calls for legislative action on privacy

Aug 11, 2021 MLive

As police increasingly use social media for surveillance and monitoring, Shobita Parthasarathy, professor of public policy and director of the Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program, calls for legislative action to protect citizens' online...

Parthasarathy: AI energizes people to consider direction of science and technology

In the Media

Parthasarathy discusses bias of facial recognition technology

Aug 5, 2021 MLive

The ethics surrounding the use of facial recognition technology are under increasing scrutiny as more law enforcement agencies utilize it. Shobita Parthasarathy, professor of public policy and director of the Science, Technology, and Public Policy...

News

Equity considerations must be an integral part of energy research and development, Parthasarathy tells Congressional committee

Jul 16, 2021

"We are not accustomed to thinking about equity in the context of innovation. But in recent years, we have begun to recognize that marginalized communities (including those who are low-income and those who come from historically disadvantaged...

Equity considerations must be an integral part of energy research and development, Parthasarathy tells Congressional committee

In the Media

Parthasarathy facial recognition study in focus on Detroit Public TV

Jun 24, 2021 DPTV One Detroit

Detroit Public TV's One Detroit program looked at the racial disparities inherent in law enforcement's use of facial recognition technology, making reference to a study published in August 2020 by the Ford School's Shobita Parthasarathy. "We have...

Parthasarathy facial recognition study in focus on Detroit Public TV

News

Green takes a look at tech ethics

Jun 15, 2021

Technology companies have been at the center of many public controversies recently—from hacking threats and data security to fake news and manipulating algorithms. Do the ethics of technological advancement—"tech ethics"—have any influence on the...

News

STPP wins grant to explore Large Language Models

Jun 11, 2021

Large Language Models (LLM) — machine learning algorithms that can recognize, predict, and generate human languages on the basis of very large text-based data sets — have captured the imagination of scientists, entrepreneurs, and tech-watchers....

STPP gift to expand educational opportunities for undergraduates

News

‘Transportation is a form of freedom’: How to make it more equitable

Jun 9, 2021

The routes and schedules of public transit, the presence or absence of sidewalks, the availability of different transportation options, and the design of highways that have divided cities—these are examples of aspects of transportation systems that...

‘Transportation is a form of freedom’: How to make it more equitable

In the Media

Parthasarathy weighs in on connections between immunizations and leadership

Jun 7, 2021 MLive

According to MLive, 100% of Michigan Senate Democrats and 71% of Michigan House Democrats have received the COVID-19 vaccine. On the other hand, 30% of Michigan Senate Republicans and 17% of Michigan House Republicans are immunized. These numbers...

Parthasarathy: ChatGPT reinforces human biases

In the Media

Parthasarathy comments on OTC COVID-19 tests

May 30, 2021 Chemical and Engineering News

Even as the rates of COVID-19 are dropping, the disease remains a threat. A need remains for COVID testing, and over-the-counter COVID-19 tests are being experimented with in the U.S. But, with these tests being taken at home, the question of how to...

In the Media

Parthasarathy discusses patents and vaccines

May 24, 2021 The American Prospect

As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, vaccines have allowed some freedom from the virus. But, patents on the vaccines are preventing others around the world from receiving the life saving shot. In turn, the White House has received pressure to waive...

Parthasarathy discusses patents and vaccines

News

Invest in innovation — Owen-Smith

May 23, 2021

In a recent op-ed for The Hill, Jason Owen-Smith, professor of public policy and director of the Institute for Research on Innovation and Science, calls for federal investment in leading research universities in order to promote growth and...

News

Congratulations to Natasha Pilkauskas and Kaitlin Raimi, both now associate professors, with tenure

May 21, 2021

Professors Natasha Pilkauskas and Kaitlin Raimi have received promotions to associate professor, with tenure, at the Ford School. Their status was approved by the U-M Board of Regents at their meeting on May 20. "Natasha Pilkauskas is deepening...

Congratulations to Natasha Pilkauskas and Kaitlin Raimi, both now associate professors, with tenure

Publication

Vaccine hesitancy, rooted in institutional mistrust, could stand in way of COVID-19 herd immunity, STPP study finds

May 12, 2021

The global effort to develop and distribute COVID-19 vaccines has progressed despite myriad challenges. Yet the final step—shots in arms—meets resistance among some that can't easily be overcome by science and supply chains. Vaccine hesitancy—a...

Vaccine hesitancy, rooted in institutional mistrust, could stand in way of COVID-19 herd immunity, STPP study finds

In the Media

Parthasarathy discusses bias in pandemic science

Mar 22, 2021 BBC World

"Science is always going to be viewed through the lens of people through their values, assumptions, biases, and politics," said Shobita Parthasarathy. But, she said, "bias is natural....It's not a bad thing to have bias." It's necessary for...

News

Parthasarathy: AstraZeneca vaccine crisis in Europe about public trust, not science

Mar 17, 2021 Slate

In a recent op-ed, Shobita Parthasarathy shared how the AstraZeneca vaccine crisis in Europe isn’t about science; rather it’s about public trust. “There is a long-standing perception that vaccine hesitancy is the result of public ignorance or a...

In the Media

Experiences of long-term effects of COVID need to be studied - Parthasarathy

Mar 8, 2021 Nature

An article in Nature notes that the National Institutes of Health will invest over $1 billion to research ‘long COVID’ — the long-lasting health effects of a SARS-CoV-2 infection. People who have experienced COVID-19 and its long-term aftermath,...

Alumni spotlight

Interview with MPP, STPP alum Melvin Washington II

Mar 4, 2021

Melvin Washington is an alumnus of the Ford School’s Master of Public Policy Program and the Science, Technology, & Public Policy Graduate Certificate Program. In his role as a Program Associate at the Vera Institute of Justice, he puts this passion...

STPP alumni webinar with Melvin Washington (MPP '18), Vera Institute of Justice

News

Ford School expert tells lawmakers: Equity needs to go hand-in-hand with innovation in energy, climate

Mar 3, 2021

Pursuing energy and climate innovations grows ever more critical, but must include the involvement and participation of marginalized, vulnerable communities from the beginning. That's the message Ford School professor and director of the Science,...

News

Parthasarathy on the dangers of facial recognition technology in schools

Jan 29, 2021 Los Angeles Times

As facial recognition technology has become more commonplace in law enforcement, some schools have considered implementing facial recognition technology on their respective campuses. However, after public backlash over privacy concerns, many...

In the Media

Parthasarathy comments on Biden's science strategy

Jan 21, 2021 Axios

Emphasizing a need to pay attention to marginalized communities, Shobita Parthasarathy says "Giving people more involvement in decision-making about what research is prioritized and how it is carried out could help "align government's values with...

News

Ford School experts address Biden priorities in new policy memos

Jan 19, 2021

As the Biden administration embarks on its first hundred days, experts from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy have produced a series of policy briefs in their areas of expertise. All of the prepared briefs can be downloaded here: Ali on...

Ford School experts address Biden priorities in new policy memos

In the Media

Parthasarathy lauds Biden's choice for science and society advisor

Jan 18, 2021 Science Mag

"What an incredibly important and forward-thinking move to include social perspectives on science and tech policy in the office," said Shobita Parthasarathy about Alondra Nelson, the new deputy director for science and society in the White House...

In the Media

Parthasarathy ponders cell "ownership"

Jan 5, 2021 NPR Planet Money

Ford School professor Shobita Parthasarathy believes that as a matter of public policy, people should have more control over what researchers can do with their cells. In a recent segment on NPR's Planet Money, she noted that you can find human...

In the Media

Michigan Proposal 2 may not go far enough to protect personal digital data - Parthasarathy

Oct 30, 2020 Detroit Public Radio WDET

“I’m not sure that Proposal 2 goes far enough at this moment when we have more and more electronic data we’re generating and more and more interest from not only law enforcement but the private sector to collect our data,” said Shobita...

In the Media

Surveillance in virtual classrooms exacerbates technological racism, increases student anxiety

Sep 25, 2020 WUOT

“These kinds of technologies tend to disproportionately burden students of color who are already often assumed to be somehow deviant... and so these technologies tend to exacerbate that kind of racism by rendering it quantitative and technological...