At CITAP, we study the intersection of politics and digital technology, researching technologies in the context of the people who design, use, and govern them. Our work unites multiple fields of study and methodological approaches with a shared Southern, public-institutional view and commitments to equality and justice.

For our spring 2022 lecture series, CITAP is proud to host speakers whose work exemplifies our own commitments to holistic research grounded in social differences and conscious of the roles of power and institutions.

These researchers’ work explores political processes, democracy and equality, mis- and disinformation, and platforms, networks, and infrastructure. We hope that you’ll join us for the full series.

Catherine Knight Steele is an Assistant Professor of Communication at the University of Maryland – College Park and the author of Digital Black Feminism. Dr. Steele directs the Black Communication and Technology lab (BCaT) as a part of the Digital Inquiry, Speculation, Collaboration, & Optimism (DISCO) Network funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Her research focuses on race, gender, and media, with a specific emphasis on African American culture and discourse in traditional and new media. She examines representations of marginalized communities in the media and how groups resist oppression and practice joy using online technology to create spaces of community.