WHERE INSIGHT LEADS TO INNOVATION
The Internet offers kids and teens many positive things, but there’s also a dark side targeting young people. Pamela Wisniewski, PhD, a specialist in privacy and online safety for adolescents, Associate Professor of Computer Science at Vanderbilt University offers expert
Congratulations to our recent PhD graduate Dr. Akter and her advisor Dr. Pamela Wisniewski for showcasing their work on the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) blog. The blog discusses online and offline risks for youth, emphasizing the unique challenges
In a series of six engaging roundtable discussions led by the Computing Community Consortium (CCC), 40 computing research experts from academia, industry, and government explored the complexities of interdisciplinary computing. “Honestly, I think this is the biggest problem we need
“Do we need cellphones in the classroom disrupting a teacher giving a lecture, no, do we need to have cell phones for health management or to be able to communicate with family members during an emergency, possibly,” Dr.Wisniewski talks to
We are thrilled to announce the outstanding achievements of our recent graduates and our postdoctoral fellow as they embark on exciting new chapters in their academic careers. Each of these scholars has secured prestigious tenure-track Assistant Professor positions at renowned
In a recent article for CNN Health, Dr. Wisniewski emphasized the importance of empowering youth with informed choices rather than restrictive measures, stressing the need for solutions that balance risks and benefits. She advocated for avoiding fear-based or restrictive approaches,
Congratulations to Dr. Xavier Caddle on the successful defense of his doctoral dissertation. Dr. Caddle will be joining the Computer Science department at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) as a visiting professor. We are immensely proud of his achievements and
Congratulations to Dr. Zainab Agha on successfully defending her doctoral dissertation entitled, “Co-designing & Evaluating Adolescent Online Safety Nudges with Teens.” We are extremely proud of her accomplishments and wish her continued success in her career!
Congratulations to our postdoctorate Dr. Jinkyung (Katie) Park for winning the prestigious 2024 iSchools Doctoral Dissertation Award! Dr. Park’s dissertation has been recognized for its innovative research and significant contribution to the field of information science. The iSchools Doctoral Dissertation
Congratulations to Dr. Mamtaj Akter on successfully defending her doctoral dissertation entitled, “Leveraging Community Oversight to Promote Mobile Privacy and Security Within Trusted Communities.” Dr. Akter will begin a tenure-track Assistant Professor position next fall in the Computer Science Department at
Congratulations to our director, Dr. Pamela Wisniewski, who has been named to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Information Science and Technology (ISAT) study group. This prestigious appointment involves assessing future research directions in computer science. Dr. Wisniewski’s inclusion
Congratulations to Dr. Ashwaq Alsoubai on successfully defending her doctoral dissertation entitled, “A Human-Centered Approach to Improving Adolescent Real-Time Online Risk Detection Algorithms.” Dr. Alsoubai will be starting an Assistant Professor position in the Computer Science Department at King Abdulaziz University
Congratulations to our recent PhD graduate Dr. Alsoubai and her advisor Dr. Pamela Wisniewski for showcasing their work on the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) blog. The blog discusses the challenges youth face in the digital world, focusing on
Congratulations to Dr. Wisniewski for being awarded a Secure and Trustworthy Computing (SaTC) National Science Foundation (NSF) grant entitled, “Collaborative Research: SaTC: CORE: Medium: Using Intelligent Conversational Agents to Empower Adolescents to be Resilient Against Cybergrooming,” under the Computer and
Our PhD candidate Zainab Agha is giving a talk as part of LIVE Sprak weekly talks at Vanderbilt University. The talk will take place this Wednesday, April 3rd, and will be about incorporating human-centered design practices in research. Zainab Agha
Congratulations to STIR Lab undergraduate students Yiwei Wang, Enya Bullard, and Abbie Chen on presenting their research titled “Designing a Social Media Simulation to Evaluate Online Safety Nudges” at the Vanderbilt Undergraduate Research Fair, mentored by PhD candidate Zainab Agha. The Vanderbilt
Congratulations to Xavier Caddle, Jinkyung Park, and Pamela Wisniewski on their recent paper publication at the Future of Information and Communication Conference (FICC). The Paper explores strategies for online youth protection, drawing on interviews with 38 stakeholders in the field.
In a recent blog post for the Imagining the Digital Future Center, Dr. Pamela Wisniewski shared concerns about regulating AI without clear definitions, citing a 2023 White House initiative on AI Accountability and related lawsuits. She emphasized the critical role
Warm congratulations to Campbell Headrick, our Master’s student, on the successful defense of his thesis, “Youth Discussions of Security and Privacy.” With this achievement, Campbell becomes the first lab Master’s student to defend his thesis at Vanderbilt University.
Dr. Pamela Wisniewski participated as a key expert in the “Copycat: Social Contagion, Online Viral Behavior, and Youth” webinar hosted by Children and Screens. The webinar aimed to enlighten parents and caregivers on the susceptibility of youth to social contagion,
Congratulations to Dr. Pamela Wisniewski on being a part of a White House panel hosted by the Task Force on Kids Online Health and Safety. The panel hosted several other distinguished panelists and was also attended by the Surgeon General
Congratulations to the STIR Lab researchers and their collaborators on getting five full papers conditionally accepted at CHI 2024. The papers’ titles, abstracts, and authors are as follows: “I’m gonna KMS”: From Imminent Risk to Youth Joking about Suicide and Self-Harm
The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) has announced that Dr. Pamela Wisniewski will be joining their Non-Resident Fellows Program. Dr. Wisniewski will join eight other distinguished researchers from diverse organizations and backgrounds, highlighting the far-reaching influence of technology on
Dr. Pamela Wisniewski participated as a panelist at the Harvard Undergraduate UNICEF Club Conference: ‘Empowering Humanity.’ The conference aims to enlighten, foster reflective thinking, and spark discussions on the educational obstacles encountered by countless children globally. It also explores the
Congratulations to Dr. Pamela Wisniewski who has contributed to a newly published book, titled “Trolley Crash: Approaching Key Metrics for Ethical AI Practitioners, Researchers, and Policy Makers” as one of the chapter authors. She collaborated on the third chapter, “Boiling
Congratulations to our Ph.D. candidate Ashwaq Alsoubai for getting accepted into the ELEVATE leadership program at Vanderbilt University next Spring. The ELEVATE program provides a collaborative environment for senior students to explore critical leadership concepts and skills.
Congratulations to Naima Ali, Zainab Agha, Neeraj Chatlani, Jinkyung Park, and Pamela Wisniewski on their recent CHI case study acceptance. The case study involved working with seven teens (15-17 years old) in a Youth Advisory Board program for over a
Congratulations to our Ph.D. student Leena Alghamdi on passing her Candidacy Exam for Ph.D. in Computer Engineering at the University of Central Florida. The Candidacy Exam is the second milestone in the Ph.D. program in which the Graduate Committee evaluates