The Racial Justice x Tech Policy (RJxTP) program at Heller’s Institute for Economic and Racial Equity (IERE) has officially been accepted into the Public Interest Technology University Network (PIT-UN), an initiative which provides programming and funding for members to grow public interest technology on their campuses and in their communities. As part of PIT-NE, PIT’s New England network, Heller will collaborate with fellow institutes of higher education on projects dedicated to the intersection of technology and social justice.
PIT-NE provides a framework for synergistic programming in higher education and workforce development. PIT-NE’s mission is to accelerate the development and institutionalization of PIT at regional higher education institutions and to provide expertise, experience, and training to a workforce that can use technology to positively address and resolve societal challenges.
“By joining PIT-NE, we will have access to new opportunities and connections that will have a far-reaching impact,” said Ezra Tefera, MS GHPM’22, Program Director and Researcher at RJxTP. “We look forward to working with partner organizations on meaningful work that will drive positive change in our communities.”
The RJxTP program integrates social justice with technological progress and is committed to raising awareness and supporting initiatives that help rectify algorithmic biases and disparities prevalent in generative Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Large Language Models and Machine Learning. RJxTP endeavors to encourage a new wave of scholars—particularly underserved marginalized populations—to champion informed research and shape equitable policies.