Jessica Santana

Master's Student
(Class of 2010)

Degree

B.A. International and Area Studies, University of Oklahoma, 2005

Information interests

I’m passionate about applying information technology to support sustainable development in rural communities like the one I grew up in. I’ve already traveled to Nicaragua to understand the challenges these communities face in exchanging information, and I’ve worked for a company that provides computing solutions in sub-Saharan Africa.

Why the I School

I came here to acquire the skills to establish and manage an organization that provides information services to rural communities. The I School’s multidisciplinary approach — technology, policy, management, and sociology — allows me to refine skills I already have while acquiring the technical knowledge I need to achieve my goals.

A favorite I School class

Information Systems and Service Design. It gave me an idea-to-prototype view of the design process with an emphasis on user-centric design. I left with the skills to advance my own ideas to the prototype stage.

Advice to aspiring information professionals

The I School teaches students how to build technology with a purpose. Whether you have a social science background and want to strengthen your technical skills or are already strong in technology and want to use your skills to achieve a grander goal, there are opportunities here.