Ash Center introduces Technology and Democracy Fellows

The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard Kennedy School is pleased to announce its newest cohort of Technology and Democracy Fellows — six technology and digital leaders from around the country committed to improving the health of American democracy. This year’s fellows have demonstrated a deep passion for using technology to strengthen our democracy through citizen engagement, social empowerment, and government transparency and accessibility.

Beginning August 2018, the Ash Center welcomes as Technology and Democracy Fellows:

• Deepti Doshi, Community Partnerships Director, Facebook
• Zach Graves, Head of Policy, Lincoln Network
• Sofia Gross, Political & Non-Profit Partnerships, Public Policy, Snap Inc.
• Victoria McCullough, Social Impact and Public Policy, Tumblr
• Devin Murphy, Digital Strategist, Priorities USA and Founder, DMT Strategies
• Jess Morales Rocketto, Political Director, National Domestic Workers Alliance

Under the direction of Archon Fung, Winthrop Laflin McCormack Professor of Citizenship and Self-Government at Harvard Kennedy School, the Technology and Democracy Fellowship and affiliated workshop series is designed to build connections between Kennedy School students and the worlds of technology, policy, and government. During the course of the academic year, fellows will undertake a number of projects. Previous projects have included research on the role of artificial intelligence in government, the development of cutting-edge tools to increase open data literacy and usage, and the creation of a digital toolkit to allow local election officials to better distribute nonpartisan election information in their communities.

Technology and Democracy Fellows also design and lead a series of hands-on workshops for Harvard Kennedy School students on a broad range of technological skills and concepts. Through participation in the workshops, students gain a deeper understanding, for example, of how to effectively utilize telecommunication APIs to connect with constituents, employ design thinking for technology and public policy, quickly build and maintain a website, and track data about key communities.

Harvard Kennedy School students interested in attending a Technology and Democracy workshop are encouraged to signup for the Ash Center’s “Technology and Democracy” mailing list and contact Teresa Acuña, Associate Director of the Ash Center’s Democratic Governance program, Teresa_Acuna@hks.harvard.edu, to ensure they receive notifications about upcoming events.

About the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation
The Roy and Lila Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation advances excellence and innovation in governance and public policy through research, education, and public discussion. Three major programs support our mission: the Program on Democratic Governance, the Innovations in Government Program, and the Rajawali Foundation Institute for Asia. For more information, visit ash.harvard.edu