My commitment is the research and design of information technologies for social change. In close collaboration with grassroot communities, we create prototypes that not only envision but pave the way for digital equity futures. I am currently pursuing my PhD at the Institute of Communications Research and serve as a research affiliate at the Community Data Clinic, both housed within the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign..
The central themes of my research are the entangled relations between social vulnerability and individual resilience in the context of technologies designed for human crisis. These technologies offer community resources for marginalized groups, aiding them in navigating economic stress, emotional turmoil, and life’s critical junctures. My research, grounded in information infrastructures studies, critical data studies, and participatory action-research, aims to reveal the paradoxical effect of these technologies: they enhance individual resilience but also perpetuate cycles of crisis and magnify social vulnerabilities.
I advocate for Latinx STEM based students who pursue careers in social transformation and technology. Drawing from my Colombian heritage, computer science, and history of technology backgrounds, I am inspired to nurture interdisciplinary academic collectives that prioritize community-engaged research.