CMU Professor Awarded Grant to Support Public Interest Technology Projects
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) professor Christopher Goranson was awarded a Public Interest Technology University Network (PIT-UN) Challenge grant to further support the critical new field of public interest technology.
The Policy Innovation Lab, an initiative of CMU’s Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy, was awarded funding, building on last year’s successful summer fellowship program and to continue development of open-access course materials.
CMU joins 24 other colleges and universities across the country who received funding to continue their groundbreaking work in the expansion of this growing field.
“We’re excited to have received this PIT-UN Challenge grant,” said Christopher Goranson, Distinguished Service Professor at Heinz College, who leads the Policy Innovation Lab. “The Policy Innovation Lab is building new pathways between civic-minded students and government partners.”
The Policy Innovation Lab and its fellowship program prepare graduate students to become public interest technologists by teaching them how to design and build government and non-profit services using human-centered design, agile methodology, and delivery for high-impact. Over the past year, students in the course have focused on challenges facing all levels of government across a variety of focused topic areas, including climate resiliency and smart cities.
PIT-UN is a partnership of colleges and universities convened by New America, the Ford Foundation, and the Hewlett Foundation. The network is dedicated to building the nascent field of public interest technology through curriculum development, faculty research opportunities, and experiential learning programs, in order to inspire a new generation of civic-minded technologists and policy leaders.
“Our work points to how important it is to make public interest technology a permanent and vital pathway in higher education,” said Anne-Marie Slaughter, President of New America. “Public interest technologists are at the forefront of societal change and progress, and our students are leading us toward a more prosperous, more just, and more collaborative future."
“When we announced the creation of the University Network, I was thrilled to work with these wonderful institutions of higher education to advance and expand the field of public interest technology towards a more just technological future,” said Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation. “The projects supported through this most recent round of awards demonstrate just how innovative and driven the faculty, staff, and students within the University Network are in their commitment to ensuring technology is a force for public good.”
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About Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy
The Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy is home to two internationally recognized graduate-level institutions at Carnegie Mellon University: the School of Information Systems and Management and the School of Public Policy and Management. This unique colocation combined with its expertise in analytics set Heinz College apart in the areas of cybersecurity, health care, the future of work, smart cities, and arts & entertainment. In 2016, INFORMS named Heinz College the number one academic program for Analytics Education. For more information, please visit http://www.heinz.cmu.edu.
About the Public Interest Technology University Network
The Public Interest Technology University Network is a partnership of colleges and universities convened by New America, the Ford Foundation, and the Hewlett Foundation. The network and challenge grants are funded through the support of the Ford Foundation, Hewlett Foundation, Mastercard Impact Fund, with support from the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, The Raikes Foundation, Schmidt Futures and The Siegel Family Endowment. The PIT-UN is dedicated to building the nascent field of public interest technology through curriculum development, faculty research opportunities, and experiential learning programs, in order to inspire a new generation of civic-minded technologists and policy leaders.