Since 2017, I have been an assistant professor of computer science in the School of Informatics, Computing & Cyber Systems at NAU. I joined the faculty of NAU after completing my doctorate in computer science at UC Santa Barbara, where my dissertation research focused on designing, developing, and characterizing networked systems that promote community sovereignty. I have continued and expanded this research with my lab at NAU, where I have the privilege to work with bright and talented students and colleagues.
I’m thrilled to be working with HOYI and the Hopi community because, in many ways, it has influenced how I understand the connection between network sustainability, resilience, and sovereignty. In 2014, as a young graduate student, I read an article published in Al Jazeera America about how KUYI Radio was used to disseminate important information to the Hopi community. The work at KUYI inspired me to ask questions that drive my work today: What does it mean for telecommunications infrastructure to have value for a community? What lessons can tribal networks teach us about designing for sustainability, resilience, and sovereignty? I believe that Hopi has a lot of insight that can help computer scientists like myself understand how to innovate technology in a way that prioritizes sustainability and community resilience. I look forward to the learning and sharing.