Global Engagement Seminar's Jarislowsky Fellows are selected by the Director in consultation with the Steering Committee and Advisory Council. The Fellows work collaboratively with the Coordinator and teaching faculty/researchers in order to facilitate the problem-based projects that students will be working on through the term.
As facilitators and resident experts, Jarislowsky Fellows play key roles in the success of the Global Engagement Seminars. In their exploration of innovative ideas and potential solutions for global problems, Fellows are tasked with sharing their expertise and community-based experiences as advocates, activists and practitioners – in the classroom and the community. They are expected to take an active role in facilitating the Global Engagement seminars in direct collaboration with the faculty; to participate in the Annual Global Engagement Summit, normally held at the end of the teaching term, where the students will be presenting their projects; and to facilitate as well as promote wider discussions on the global issues under examination. While local residency is not required, we do expect fellows to immerse themselves in and to be available to engage with the greater University community during their appointment.
Meet your Jarislowsky Fellows!
Heather Suzanne Woods
Heather Suzanne Woods is an award-winning scholar, teacher and higher ed leader who helps people understand the social impacts of technology so we can build a more just future. She has been researching and teaching about the relationship between technology and culture for a decade. Her research and advocacy shapes policy-making, product development, and scholarly conversations on emerging technology. As a leader, she empowers communities to build resilient, adaptive, inclusive processes and structures in preparation for a changing technological future.
Heather is the author of two books, one on memes and politics and the other on smart homes. Her work has been featured in Wired, The New York Times, Atlantic, CBC’s Spark, The Washington Post, The LA Times, and more. She is the Director of the A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication at Kansas State University and a senior advisor and trainer for the Women’s March.
Presentation
“Reclaiming logistics: platforms, people-power, and collective strategy in the age of AI”
Tuesday, September 23
E7-1427, 4:00-5:00 PM
Sabrina Ahmad
Sabrina Ahmad is a Trust & Safety professional with several years’ experience working at the intersection of content moderation, platform governance, and freedom of expression issues in our digital world. Prior to her work in this field, Sabrina served as a policy analyst at the federal Government of Canada in designing skills-based technology training programs for public servants, and in communications and stakeholder relations for Canada’s Public Policy Forum. She holds an MSc in the Social Science of the Internet from the University of Oxford, and a Joint Honours BA in Communications and Sociology (French Immersion) from the University of Ottawa.
Presentation
“How Hard Could It Be? Applying International Human Rights Law to Content Moderation: Lessons from Meta’s Oversight Board”
Tuesday, September 30
DC 1351, 4:00-5:00PM
Evan Ackerman
Evan Ackerman is a senior editor at IEEE Spectrum, the award-winning flagship publication of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Evan has been writing about robots, science, and emerging technology for over 15 years. After co-founding his own robotics blog in 2007, he joined Spectrum in 2011. In addition to Spectrum, Evan’s work has appeared in a variety of other websites and print magazines, and you may have heard him talking about robots on NPR’s Science Friday or the BBC World Service if you were listening at just the right time. Evan currently lives in Oklahoma City, along with his partner and a steadily growing collection of robot vacuums. In his spare time, he enjoys scuba diving, squeezing flamingos, and playing bagpipes excellently.
Presentation
“Robots vs Reality: Responsible Science Communication in the Attention Economy”
Tuesday, October 21
DC 1351, 4:00-5:00 PM