The Public Interest Technology University Network is a partnership that fosters collaboration between universities and colleges committed to building the nascent field of public interest technology and growing a new generation of civic-minded technologists.
CWRU’s Designee to the PIT-UN is Nick Barendt, ISSACS Executive Director. CWRU was selected to join the PIT-UN in March 2021.
The goals of the PIT-UN are to:
- Connect accredited nonprofit institutions of higher education in the US that seek to take the lead in establishing and defining the field of Public Interest Technology within academia;
- Spur the development of a strong pipeline of students seeking to pursue careers in Public Interest Technology, broadly defined; taking active measures to ensure that this pipeline is diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, ability, gender, and socioeconomic status; and characterized by a sense of inclusion and belonging for students and practitioners;
- Foster collaborations and connections across the network and to practitioners in the wider ecosystem.
CWRU’s involvement in the PIT-UN is aligned with the four pathways of the university’s Think Big Strategic Plan.
The PIT-UN convenes discussions about technology in the public interest and coordinates an annual, competitive funding opportunity for member institutions to develop PIT-related educational and capacity-building activities.