Newswise — WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 28 2015) — American University’s Dr. Laura DeNardis, Professor and Associate Dean in the School of Communication, is the recipient of a prestigious Google Faculty Research Award for her project “The Destabilization of Internet Governance.” As an information engineer and social scientist, her research studies the social and political implications of Internet technical architecture and governance.
“Because the functions necessary to keep the Internet operational are behind the scenes, citizens and policymakers sometimes assume that “things just work,” said Dr. Laura DeNardis, American University Professor. “This project examines how changes to Internet governance, like changes to technology, are also changes in arrangements of power with implications for the stability and constitution of infrastructure as well as individual liberty.”
The Google Research Award supports its mission to make the flow of information universally accessible by encouraging and backing world-class, full-time faculty pursuing research in areas of Computer Science, Engineering, and related fields. Dr. DeNardis’ project will examine the geopolitical forces seeking to change systems of Internet governance and assess the implications of these changes for the stability of Internet technical architecture.
The grant will support doctoral student in communication, Nathalia Foditsch, who has co-lectured in Comparative U.S. Brazil Legal and Judicial Systems at the Washington College of Law, American University and is currently the Internet Governance Project Manager at the Center for Technology and Society at the Fundação Getulio Vargas School of Law in Rio de Janeiro. She is also helping Aspen Institute design a US-Brazilian Dialogue of leaders in the communications policy space. Previously, Nathalia worked for the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank, the Brookings Institution and the Brazilian federal antitrust authority. Nathalia is a licensed attorney and earned her Master's degrees in Law and Government and a Master's in Public Policy. She will be joining Dr. DeNardis at the School of Communication in the Fall 2015.
As one of the world’s foremost Internet Governance scholars, Dr. DeNardis will discuss human rights and Internet technology on June 10, 2015 at the Center for Democracy and Technology in Washington, D.C. She is also scheduled to talk about Internet governance on July 8, 2015 at Microsoft Faculty Research Summit in Redding, WA.
About American UniversityAmerican University is a leader in global education, enrolling a diverse student body from throughout the United States and nearly 140 countries. Located in Washington, D.C., the university provides opportunities for academic excellence, public service, and internships in the nation’s capital and around the world.
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