Co-Design for Inclusive Technology

Virtual | 09.15.2023 | 2:10 - 2:30 EST

3. Understanding Tech-Enabled Community Networks

The power of co-design with communities has proven to be an invaluable creative approach, fostering distributed collaboration among those impacted by the solutions being developed. As climate change intensifies, island and coastal communities are grappling with increasingly frequent and devastating disasters, such as hurricanes and floods. Our team, comprised of researchers, humanitarian practitioners, designers, and technologists with diverse expertise from both the local archipelago and the global stage, has been diligently exploring how to co-design inclusive civic solutions alongside those directly affected by these disasters. Together, we aim to bridge the last-mile disaster relief gap and establish enduring resilience within underserved communities. During our session, we will use our past co-design workshops as examples to share practices and insights learned while convening residents, community groups, and governmental and non-governmental entities from across Puerto Rico.

Speakers

Azury Wei-Ching Lin, MS, Product & Design Lead, re+connect

Azury is a design strategist with a system mindset, currently concentrating on sustainability challenges and advocacy for social changes through a humanity-centered design approach. She has mainly worked with early-stage startups to craft and deliver visions of products and services in a holistic approach – from branding, storytelling to product and service development.

Pamela Silva, MS, Co-Design Lead, re+connect

Pamela's passion lies at the intersection of technology, environmental sustainability, and social impact. She adopts a human-centered approach to co-design products and machines that address community challenges and opportunities. Her co-creation technique blends strategic design facilitation with engineering consulting and services.

Measuring Community Networks

Virtual | 09.15.2023 | 1:50 - 2:10 EST

3. Understanding Tech-Enabled Community Networks

A network strategy is an intentional set of actions and programs designed to bring cross-sector partners together, with the purpose of leveraging resources, sharing ideas and innovations, creating and maintaining new programming, and creating systems change. While investments in network strategies continue to rise, and a general “belief” that collaboration and partnerships will lead to outcomes persists, there is little data to help support those efforts. In this presentation, we will share best practices for measuring networks, examples of reliable measures, and growing trends that reflect the increasing interest in using network data to inform strategies over time.

Speakers

Danielle Varda, Ph.D., Visible Network Labs

Danielle is an impact entrepreneur, data scientist, public speaker, elected official, mother, and professor - but mostly a big network science geek who wants to make the world a better place! She has a demonstrated history of leading multidisciplinary teams in tackling complex social systems issues using technology, research, and translation to practice.

Skilled in Tech Startups, Business Development, Data Analysis, Applied Network Science, Public Speaking, Design Thinking, and Human-Computer Interactions. Value-based decision maker, with a vision to build the capacity of communities to work in collaboration to achieve social good. Associate Professor with a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) from University of Colorado Denver. Developer of the PARTNER (Program to Analyze, Record, and Track Networks to Enhance Relationships), Founder of the CU Center on Network Science, Host of the Network Innovation Summit, Jefferson County School Board Director, and Director of the Network Leadership Training Academy.

Social Network Analysis Based Validation: Network Strength and Health Outcomes

Virtual | 09.15.2023 | 2:30 - 2:50 EST

3. Understanding Tech-Enabled Community Networks

This session will examine and analyze community social care networks using the technology tool IRIS. Social network analyses allow us to explore how aspects of the network interact with community outcomes such as health, quality of life, socio-economic variables, and more. The presentation will present findings from social network analyses conducted on multi-sector communities using IRIS. We discuss the influence of network characteristics on community level health and well-being.

Speakers

Sushmita Samaddar, MPP, Senior Research Engineer, The Center for Public Partnerships and Research, University of Kansas

Sushmita Samaddar is a Research Engineer Senior at the Center for Public Partnerships and Research (CPPR) at the University of Kansas. Her expertise includes data science, statistical analysis including quasi-experimental methods and randomized control trials, data governance, and research transparency and reproducibility. At CPPR, she leads data science and quantitative research work in integrated data systems, early childhood development, social network analysis, and cash assistance programs. Prior to joining CPPR, she was a researcher at the World Bank where she focused on providing data-driven diagnostics to support reforms in national public procurement systems, conducting global studies on procurement practices, and building capacity on data analytics with government officials. She has also worked in developmental policy, organizational efficiency, governance, and environmental policy.

Teri Garstka, Ph.D., Associate Director, The Center for Public Partnerships and Research, University of Kansas

Teri Garstka, Ph.D. (University of Kansas, 1997) is an Associate Director at the Center for Public Partnerships and Research at the University of Kansas and oversees a portfolio of research, evaluation, and data science initiatives in systems that serve children, youth, and families. Dr. Garstka leads the strategic development of several software applications that support impact measurement and good practice in seven states across the country. With over 15 years of experience in implementing or leading large-scale data efforts in academic, government, and social service settings, Dr. Garstka’s expertise includes establishing data governance structures, aligning technical infrastructure, analytic tools, methodologies, and measurement to address policy questions, and turning data insights into action for better decision-making at all levels of social service systems.

Leveraging Technology to Build a Stronger Community

Virtual | 09.15.2023 | 1:40 - 1:50 EST

3. Understanding Tech-Enabled Community Networks

Speakers

Teri Garstka, Ph.D., Associate Director, The Center for Public Partnerships and Research, University of Kansas

Teri Garstka, Ph.D. (University of Kansas, 1997) is an Associate Director at the Center for Public Partnerships and Research at the University of Kansas and oversees a portfolio of research, evaluation, and data science initiatives in systems that serve children, youth, and families. Dr. Garstka leads the strategic development of several software applications that support impact measurement and good practice in seven states across the country. With over 15 years of experience in implementing or leading large-scale data efforts in academic, government, and social service settings, Dr. Garstka’s expertise includes establishing data governance structures, aligning technical infrastructure, analytic tools, methodologies, and measurement to address policy questions, and turning data insights into action for better decision-making at all levels of social service systems.