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Alex Hanna (research scientist)

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Alex Hanna is a sociologist and director at the Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR). Hanna works on new analyzing technologies and how this data impairs racial biases in social class, race, and gender. She identifies as a transgender woman of color and came out while in graduate school at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Hanna worked on social movements in both the United States and Canada.

Early life and education

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Hanna, her mother Demiana and her sisters migrated from Egypt to the United States. Hanna had an inclination for computer at an early age and was captivated by the connection between sociology and technology.[1] Hanna attended Purdue University, graduating with a BS in computer science and mathematics, a BA in Sociology, a MS and PhD in Sociology in 2016 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.[2] Hanna identifies as a transgender woman of color and came out while in graduate school at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.[1]

Career

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Hanna began working as part of the faculty of information as an assistant professor at the University of Toronto Mississauga.[3] She joined Google and worked first as a technical writer and Curriculum Developer and eventually as a Senior Research Scientist on the ethical AI team.[4][3] Hanna left Google after her manager Timnit Gebru; a computer scientist was fired over her research on inequalities in AI systems.[4][5][6][7] Hanna believed that Google and their lack of diversity practices fostered disregard for people of color.[6] After Google, Hanna joined Gebru's Distributed AI Research Institute, where she currently holds the position of Director of Research.[6] Hanna has published in the journals Mobilization, American Behavioral Scientist, and Big Data & Society.[8]

Accomplishments

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Hanna's research primarily focuses on the relationship between people and technology and how it affects inequalities due to race, gender and social economic class.[8] She received the Wisconsin Alumni Association Forward Award, a senior Fellow at the Center for Applied Transgender Studies, and a current member of the Human rights Data Advisory Board.[1] Hanna created the Alex and Demiana Hanna Pride Scholarship fund for undergraduate Sociology majors that support the LGBTQ movement and has published numerous journals on AI and people relationships along with studies on social justice.[1] Hanna made the 100 Brilliant women in Artificial Intelligence Ethics list in 2021.[9]

Selected publications

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  • Berrey, Ellen, et al. “U.S. And Canadian Higher Education Protests and University and Police Responses, 2012-2018.” SocArXiv, 14 Aug. 2024. Web.
  • Pamela Oliver, Alex Hanna, Chaeyoon Lim; CONSTRUCTING RELATIONAL AND VERIFIABLE PROTEST EVENT DATA: FOUR CHALLENGES AND SOME SOLUTIONS*. Mobilization: An International Quarterly 1 March 2023; 28 (1): 1–22. Doi: https://doi.org/10.17813/1086-671X-28-1-1
  • Scheuerman, M. K., Pape, M., & Hanna, A. (2021). Auto-essentialization: Gender in automated facial analysis as extended colonial project. Big Data & Society, 8(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/20539517211053712
  • The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science Vol. 659, Toward Computational Social Science: Big Data in Digital Environments (May 2015), pp. 225-245 (21 pages) Published By: Sage Publications, Inc.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Lotlikar, Sarina (2022-06-21). "Pay it forward: Alumna Alex Hanna creates scholarship to support sociology students supporting LGBTQ+ community". Inclusive Excellence. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  2. ^ "Alex Hanna, PhD". Center for Applied Transgender Studies. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  3. ^ a b "Alex Hanna". Graduate School | UW - Madison. 2020-12-18. Archived from the original on 2024-09-18.
  4. ^ a b Ghaffary, Shirin (2020-12-04). "The controversy behind a star Google AI researcher's departure". Vox. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  5. ^ "2021 Queer 50 List". Fast Company. 2021. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  6. ^ a b c "Alex Hanna left Google to try to save AI's future". MIT Technology Review. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  7. ^ Metz, Rachel (2021-03-11). "How one employee's exit shook Google and the AI industry | CNN Business". CNN. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  8. ^ a b "Understanding Gender and Racial Bias in AI". Harvard ALI Social Impact Review. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  9. ^ "Alex Hanna (Ph.D. '16) Named One of 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics for 2021". Department of Sociology. 2020-12-21. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
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