We are soliciting applications for guest speakers for a new invited lecture series at the University of Washington that resides at the intersection of data science and Science and Technology Studies (STS).

We know there is great and relevant scholarship from STS out there that might not have crossed our desks yet, so we are doing things a little differently when it comes to selecting speakers for this invited seminar series: at least half of our speakers will be selected from the pool of applicants who respond to this call.

We are filling spots for the remainder of this academic year (February – June, 2019). If you are interested in being one of our speakers, please read and complete this application (available dates are listed therein). Consideration of applications will begin immediately and will continue until all spots are filled.

The title and theme of the seminar series is “Data, Then and Now” – which is intended to evoke a sense of historicism about what was data (whether from 1540, 1980, or 2017), along with the emerging presence of data (whether from 1540, 1980, or 2017). Talks need not be straight histories of data technologies or practices, but the point of the series overall is to draw out the antecedents and continuities of our current data-centric moment. For this speaker series we are looking for STS scholars who will share their research on related topics. For an example, see our inaugural lecture delivered by Nicole Nelson.

Talks should be “tuned” for a highly diverse audience in terms of disciplinary background, as we expect a mix of STS scholars and researchers who practice data-intensive computational methods. We encourage scholarship that engages technical issues but does so in a “human readable” manner. We welcome examinations of political topics (of whatever flavor), but done in a politic manner. We are excited by theory, but more so if done via grounded empirical investigations. We welcome applications from senior faculty, junior faculty, postdocs, as well as visiting or research professors.

This speaker series is a collaboration between the eScience Institute, the Department of Human Centered Design and Engineering, and the Science, Technology and Society Studies program at the University of Washington.

Hotel, travel, and group dinner expenses will be covered. Unfortunately, at this time, we cannot support visa applications, and can only pay for travel from North America. Scholars from other regions are welcome to apply if they will be in North America for some other reason and would be willing to pursue a trip to Seattle.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Data Then and Now Organizers
David Ribes, Human-Centered Design and Engineering (HCDE)
Anissa Tanweer, eScience Institute
University of Washington