Academics
Primary Research Interests & Dissertation, AI Literacy, Rhetoric & Bias
Digital and AI Bias: Examining the ethical implications of algorithmic bias and its impact on marginalized communities.
Rhetoric and Computational Rhetoric: Exploring how language and algorithms shape the function and perception of AI systems.
AI Ethics and Governance: Focusing on the ethical considerations and governance frameworks necessary to ensure responsible and transparent AI development.
Sustainability: Advocating for sustainable and inclusive AI and technology models that prioritize equity and social responsibility.
System Design: Developing human-centered design frameworks that integrate ethical considerations into AI development.
Media Archaeology: Investigating the historical and cultural dimensions of technology to understand its evolution and societal impact.
New Media: Exploring emerging technologies and their role in shaping contemporary discourse and communication.
Research Streams
My research simplified
Shaping AI: Why the humanities matter in tech innovation
How the humanities' rich tradition of storytelling and character exploration can be harnessed to shape the future of AI
I am a Doctoral Candidate at the University of Waterloo, where my research focuses on algorithmic characterization and AI literacy, particularly through the lens of computed biases. My work explores how AI discursivity shapes the material effects and lived experiences of individuals, especially marginalized communities, where bias is often embedded in AI models designed to serve everyone equally.
I argue that technology functions as a digital colony, amplifying the analogic biases of the past. Understanding the mechanisms behind AI models is crucial for developing systems that make decisions without bias. Central to my research is the application of hermeneutic methods to assess AI models, treating them as forms of digital "TEXT"—complex, black-boxed literary forms whose inner workings remain at the frontier of our collective understanding. Gaining literacy in these systems is vital to advancing our knowledge of AI's societal impact.
My research posits that AI models are rhetorical systems, rich with opportunities for "baked-in" bias. These biases shape the reception, perception, and representation of digital subjects, and often do so negatively, particularly for marginalized groups. As AI's role in public life continues to grow, these biases become increasingly problematic. AI now plays a significant part in civic functions like healthcare, judicial systems, hiring processes, and education—areas where fairness is critical.
In exploring the algorithmic construction of digital personas, I suggest these constructions resemble a form of ethopoeia—a rhetorical device used to depict character. In AI, this translates to user profiles that algorithmically simulate human traits and behaviors, often carrying underlying motives that influence decisions made by AI systems.
In light of the growing ethical dilemmas—exacerbated by our increasing reliance on technology and the amplification of these issues by the COVID-19 pandemic—it is essential to critically examine the user profile as the foundation of algorithmic modeling. My research aims to contribute to this critical understanding, ensuring AI systems can serve all members of society, free from bias and misrepresentation.
Research Assitanceship
Research: “Ethical Tech Innovation: Uniting Education Initiatives and Profession Practice.”
Key Research Assistant to Drs. Heather Love, Jen Boger and Jason La Joie @ (the University of Waterloo Council for Responsible Innovation and Technology) - CRIT
Funding Source: SSHRC
CRIT is committed to advancing education and governance around socially responsible innovation and technology. CRIT aims to transform the culture at Waterloo, in Canada, and internationally by focusing on four key areas: research, education, policy, and outreach and connection.
promoting active engagement with social and ethical issues in research, design, and development,
educating and empowering faculty, staff, and students to be ethically responsible citizens,
developing policies that ensure and support responsible innovation, and
fostering interdisciplinary connections within the Waterloo community and beyond.
Teaching Assistanceship
Course: Discourse of Dissent
TA to Dr. Frances Condon ENGL 309 G
This course focuses on the social, historical, and rhetorical dimensions of collective action. We will study the manufacture of consent and conformity in order to understand why, how, and to what effect dissent is enacted. We will explore the complex relationships between power and domination, coercion and consent, resistance and transformation, as well as the philosophical, social, organizational, and rhetorical features of effective dissent.
COVID has created many challenges for executing on-line classes. I support this course by providing technical logistics, along with the standard duties of a UW TA. such as supporting students and correcting papers.
Course: Genres of Business Communication * 2 instances
TA for University of Waterloo ENGL 109
This course explores the genres of communication in business and other organizations. Students will study and produce instances from several of the following: reports (of several kinds), letters, email messages, marketing materials, public relations materials, and any other types of organizational communication.
A real-life business simulation conducted online that takes students through numerous assignments that prepares them for communication in a myriad of professional environments. I was responsible for correcting papers and guiding a portion of the class (25 students) through the term. This is a scholarship apprenticeship that prepares Doctoral students for Teaching in institutions of higher learning and is a required part of completing this degree.