About me
I'm a PhD Student studying Information Science at the School of Information, University of Texas, Austin under the supersion of Dr. Elliott Hauser.
My information science interests straddle the confluence of computation, sociotechnical systems, and human agency.
In the broadest sense, I'm interested in the effects of technology on personal agency, sociability, and structural social reconfigurations. Even though it is cliche to say it, we're currently undergoing a quiet, or no so quiet, revolution in the way we live our lives, relate to one another, and define ourselves in relation to labour, the world, and institutions comparable in scale to that of the first Industrial Revolution
I hope to exlore the interaction of these domains through a number of methodologies:
I believe that information science as an evolving and really, burgeoning field, uniquely lends itself to mixed methods. The reason for this is that in order to practice information science properly, engagement with technical systems, and the study of those technical systems from sociological lenses is optimal.
Those involved in designing technological systems often cannot see themselves or the system from the outside. It is the role of the social and information scientist to provide this view through rigorous methodological analysis. Furthermore, the information scientist should maintain proficiency in a variety of technical domains to do this successfully. This both makes our field awkward and exciting.
Besides the information science scope of my academic interests, I maintain a strong academic and professional interest in data science and AI proper, spanning simple ANNS, GANs, Diffusion and Transformer-based models. AI neither portends a dystopia nor heralds a utopia. It is up to us to forge a future that does not callously instrumentalize and debase the human and the broader ecology.
I have a Bachelors of Philosophy from the University of Toronto, one of the most well regarded philosophy departments in North America and the world, and a Masters of Information also from the University of Toronto. I'm indebted to the great professors at the University of Toronto for shaping my intellectual horizons in addition to my critical and often obdurate mind.
My alethic pursuits, namely academic and professional concerned with describing, explaining, measuring, building etc., are balanced by my aeshtetic pursuits, chiefly through creative writing and visual art. Art is the purest form of creation--we forfeit our creative powers and agency at our peril.
I hope you'll be able to find some interesting things on this website and enjoy browsing it.