Jen Liu, a doctoral student in Information Science, has been named a 2020 recipient of the Paul Evan Peters Fellowship for graduate study in library and information sciences. The fellowship – awarded by the Coalition for Networked Information – recognizes outstanding scholarship and intellectual rigor, a commitment to civic responsibility and democratic values, and imagination.
Liu's research uses ethnographic fieldwork methods working with communities in the U.S. southeast, together with co-design methodologies to engage with these communities, to develop alternatives to “big” digital agriculture tools and technologies.
“The guiding tenet of my research is that a sustainable future is synonymous with an equitable future,” Liu said.
Krisellen Maloney, vice president for information services at Rutgers University and a member of the fellowship selection committee, noted Liu's vision and approach.
“Jen Liu’s research connects the fundamental role of the environment and an equitable and just future," Maloney said. "Her creative and insightful approach engages communities that are often forgotten or marginalized in developing tools that address climate change in a meaningful and sustainable way."
Added Steven Jackson, chair of Cornell Information Science: "Jen is in the early stages of a research program that I believe will establish her as a major figure and leader in the information, computation and sustainability space."
Liu received a master’s degree in tangible interaction design from Carnegie Mellon University and a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art.