Center for Data, Ethics, and Society 

Marquette’s Center for Data, Ethics, and Society works to address the social and ethical dimensions of our increasingly data-driven society.

 

Grounded in the university’s Jesuit mission of social justice, the Center for Data, Ethics, and Society focuses on confronting the ethical consequences & controversies of our increasingly data-driven lives and spaces, including unfair algorithmic biases, the unequal impacts of computational decision-making, the privacy threats of ubiquitous surveillance systems, and corporate social responsibility and accountability. 

The Center takes up these concerns through an applied and interdisciplinary approach to research, pedagogy, and engagement with both impacted communities and relevant industries. The center is directed by Dr. Michael Zimmer.


Michael Zimmer Milwaukee Business JournalDr. Michael Zimmer was recently featured in the Milwaukee Business Journal as one of the “10 People to Know in Technology“, which highlighted the work we are doing at the Marquette Center for Data, Ethics, and Society.


Recent News and Activities

"Person, Thing, Robot" with David J. Gunkel

David Gunkel "Person, Thing, Robot"

The Center welcomes Dr. David J. Gunkel (Northern Illinois University) for a discussion of his new book Person, Thing, Robot: A Moral and Legal Ontology for the 21st Century and Beyond on April 18, 2024. Register here.

Rome Call for AI Ethics

Zimmer at Global University Summit for Rome Call for AI Ethics

The Center for Data, Ethics, and Society recently participated in the Global University Summit for the Rome Call for AI Ethics, held on the campus of the University of Notre Dame. The summit was co-organized by the Pontifical Academy for Life, IBM, and Notre Dame and is hosted by the Notre Dame-IBM Technology Ethics Lab.

Data Collection for Internet Researchers under Data Protection Regimes

Data Collection for Internet Researchers under Data Protection Regimes

We recently were at Meta's office in Dublin, Ireland to host a discussion with internet researchers, platforms, and regulators on Data Collection for Internet Researchers under Data Protection Regimes.

Michael Lovell and Michael ZimmerDr. Zimmer joined President Lovell for a discussion on the impact of artificial intelligence on our lives. Listen to "Deep Dive on AI" on WTMJ radio here.

Zimmer faculty all-starDr. Zimmer's work with the Center was honored during a "Faculty All-Star" ceremony at a Marquette basketball game in fall 2023.

 

Student Spotlight

Nidhi Nellore at CSCW 2023

Nidhi Nellore, a 3rd-year PhD student in Computer Science, recently participated in the ACM Conference On Computer-Supported Cooperative Work And Social Computing (CSCW) in Minneapolis, MN and Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR) annual conference in Philadelphia, PA. She shares her experience here. 

Thomas Johnson presenting at ASC

  • Thomas Johnson, a recent graduate of Marquette's Criminal Justice Data Analytics Program, presented at the annual conference of the American Society of Criminology. Read his reflection on the experience here.