Algorithms and Digital Culture Lab
What is ADC Lab?
The Algorithms and Digital Culture (ADC) Lab is a research platform in the Communication and Journalism Department that provides support to graduate students and faculty with research interests in algorithms, AI, and digital culture. This space offers opportunities to collaborate, create, and share ideas and resources. The vision of forming the research group was borne out of the:
- Need to adapt and respond to ongoing digital media changes driven by algorithmic productions through research & other scholarly engagements.
- Curiosity to explore research opportunities provided by shifts in digitally inspired cultural (re)production.
- Desire to cultivate an academic community through scholarly activities, collaborative research, conference presentations, and publication of research projects, among others.
How did this come about?
Algorithms have become an extension of who we are today. Our daily interactions and strategies to navigate the algorithmically driven world have been continuously shaping what communication and culture mean today. Piqued by curiosity, we, a group of Doctoral students in the Communication and Journalism Department at UNM, have been keen to investigate the growing influence of algorithms and unpack their centrality in cultural production and consumption. Recognizing its alignment with the department’s strong focus on the study of emerging culture, we reached out to Dr. Cleophas Muneri with the hope of forming a research lab where we can come together and work on demystifying the mysteries of algorithms and digital culture. Hence, the inception of our very own, the Algorithms and Digital Culture Lab. We meet twice a month on Thursdays.
Goals of ADC Lab
- Help members formulate and develop critical cultural studies research driven by algorithms and algorithmic productions, like artificial intelligence, into viable research projects.
- Develop and work on research projects individually and collaboratively.
- Consolidate various research projects (individually & collaboratively) into publication(s)
- Organize symposiums and conferences to create spaces to share and present research projects.
- Explore grant funding possibilities for critical algorithms and AI-based research.
- Develop digital platforms to share research resources.
- Provide a platform to create an academic community to share ideas, socialize, and support each other.
- Connect with other campus communities at The University of New Mexico, doing algorithms and AI-focused research.
What do we do when we meet?
- Share and brainstorm research ideas and translate them into research projects.
- Bring research projects for discussion and feedback.
- Share resources.
- Ask each other questions and engage each other in a supportive environment.
So... what's next?
Facilitating events that help scholars, undergrads, and the community grapple with how technology impacts culture.
Join us!
Algorithmic studies are blurring disciplines and creating new opportunities. We believe so, too. If algorithms, culture, and curiosity are your jam, we would love to have you here!
Members of the ADC Lab
- Dr. Cleophas Muneri – Faculty Advisor
- Soham Sen – PhD Student
- Maegan Carberry – PhD Student
- Arif Md Tareque Habib – PhD Student
- Nnenna Udebunu – PhD - Student
- Jayita Chakraborty – PhD Student
- Saiqa Shahzadi - PhD Student
- Dora Nentoola - PhD Student
- Eunji Yi - PhD Student
