Advancing knowledge and practice wherever people interact with information and technology

School of Information MIDS student Christina Papadimitriou is the recipient of the Spring 2019 Paul Fasana LGBTQ Studies Fellowship, which supports UC Berkeley School of Information graduate students whose research interests or studies are related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or queer studies.

“Christina has demonstrated a commitment to advocating for LGBTQ equality and rights, both in her workplace and the MIDS program,” the fellowship committee wrote. “In an effort to guide policies that support the LGBTQ community, Christina is committed to using data science to help identify and provide information about the LGBTQ community and the challenges the LGBTQ community faces on a global level.”

“You’re going to be repeatedly called on to explain to people what a school of information is,” said commencement keynote speaker Geoffrey Nunberg to the class of 2019. “So I want to share with you my take about what makes this place exceptional, and how that makes you exceptional.”

Now, more than ever, a commitment to a human-centric approach to information and technology is critical, agreed commencement speakers Nunberg, Dean AnnaLee Saxenian, Chancellor Carol Christ, and students chosen to represent the MIMS, MIDS, and Ph.D. programs.

“We hold interdisciplinary skills and deep expertise unmatched by our colleagues in other disciplines,” said Ph.D. graduate Elaine Sedenberg. “This is why we as Berkeley I Schoolers are exactly what the world needs right now.”