I come from a predominantly black city in Nj where one out of every four children have asthma as a consequence of air pollution and inner-city dumping. For years, I have witnessed the impacts of environmental racism on my community but often felt helpless to interrupt those dynamics. Starting college was a catalyst that motivated me to explore the ways I could utilize technology as a paradigm for protecting the environment. Over the years technology has made countless environmental contributions however they are not reflective of how expansive and influential it has become or can be. Thus, I as a woman of color find it so incredibly important to pursue my degree and create innovative technical solutions to be a voice for those in my community. Professionals in information technology must be educated on how to produce sustainable infrastructure technology and software that help address structural concerns that impact our society. I look forward to using the technical skills from my Computer Information Systems Degree to create forms of Artificial Intelligence (AI) that will support sustainability endeavors aimed at ending environmental degradation. According to scientists, global warming, pollution, and other hazards plaguing the planet are here to stay and only worsening as officials hesitate to act. Now more than ever those in the field of technology must take the lead through infrastructure and software to help produce transformative solutions. Artificial intelligence is the simulation of human intelligence through computer systems. It has the potential to be groundbreaking within environmental activism if programmed and implemented with correct precision. I plan to use AI to help encourage environmental sustainability through several machine and computer systems. As mentioned, climate change is on the rise and a large part of that is due to the use of non-renewable energy sources. The largest barriers to using healthier alternatives like renewable resources are cost, extraction, and space. Specialized AI can help develop robots that would aid in not only extracting but maintaining renewable resources to provide cleaner energy alternatives. These machines won't only be beneficial for producing cleaner air but be used to uphold other environmental laws and standards that are commonly disregarded. For example, participating in deforestation, the hunting of endangered species, and, land dumping are all things killing the environment but humans lack the skills at times to intervene and this is where artificial intelligence lends a helpful hand. While these ideas are all well thought out without an intentional effort at diversifying the STEM field they may never be accomplished. This is especially proven given the current state of AI. As the field expands, recently, more and more IT professionals are being vocal about the inconsistencies within machine capabilities as countless models of AI have been found unable to interpret or identify non-white features and skin color. It is possible that even when created these machines could lack the ability to offer environmental protection and service to marginalized communities ultimately making them unsustainable for use. This is, unfortunately, a consequence of the lack of diversity in the field and only will be exacerbated without intervention. However, it needs to be reflected on by the larger community as the theory of AI continues to grow and be weaponized against more egregious societal injustice. In conclusion, technology has the potential to create interdisciplinary solutions to be a restorative resource. AI and other infrastructure technology have the potential to be revolutionary if diversity and nuanced research is integrated within. This is why I find it so crucial for women like myself to enter the field and be the change we want to see.

I come from a predominantly black city in NJ where one out of every four children have asthma as a consequence of air pollution and dumping. Starting college was a catalyst that motivated me to explore the ways I could utilize technology as a paradigm for protecting the environment. Thus, I as a woman of color find it important to pursue my degree and create innovative technical solutions to be a voice for those in my community. Professionals in information technology must be educated on how to produce sustainable infrastructure technology and software that help address structural concerns that impact our society. I look forward to using the technical skills from my Computer Information Systems Degree to create forms of Artificial Intelligence (AI) that will support sustainability endeavors aimed at ending environmental degradation. According to scientists, global warming, pollution, and other hazards plaguing the planet are here to stay and only worsening as officials hesitate to act. Artificial intelligence is the simulation of human intelligence through computer systems. I plan to use AI to help encourage environmental sustainability through several machine and computer systems. As mentioned, climate change is on the rise and a large part of that is due to the use of non-renewable energy sources. The largest barriers to using healthier alternatives like renewable resources are cost, extraction, and space. This is a great example of how technology can fill the gaps for limitations put on human capabilities. Specialized AI can help develop robots that would aid in not only extracting but maintaining renewable resources to provide cleaner energy alternatives. As previously mentioned, air pollution results in many debilitating respiratory issues and other health concerns. Unregulated and rampant pollution as a result of dumping and C02 emissions has been targeted as one of the many potential hazardous reasons. Therefore, creating a model of AI that will function as a geospatial dashboard to monitor and collect data on the fluctuations of particle pollution and other air contaminants is essential. This will help monitor areas that are frequent targets of pollution and potentially encourage accountability for the corporations and individuals responsible. These machines won't only be beneficial for producing cleaner air but be used to uphold other environmental laws and standards that are commonly disregarded by the public. For example, participating in deforestation, the hunting of endangered species, and, land dumping are all things often unable to be well controlled. While these ideas are all well thought out without an intentional effort at diversifying the STEM field they may never be accomplished. This is especially proven given the current state of AI. As the field expands, recently, more and more IT professionals are being vocal about the inconsistencies within machine capabilities as countless models of AI have been found unable to interpret or identify non-white features and skin color. This is, unfortunately, a consequence of the lack of diversity in the field and only will be exacerbated without intervention. However, it needs to be reflected on by the larger community as the theory of AI continues to grow and be weaponized against more egregious societal injustice. In conclusion, technology has the potential to create interdisciplinary solutions to help be a resource accessible to anyone. Artificial intelligence and other infrastructure technology have the potential to be revolutionary for sustainability if people in the field are educated and motivated to do so. This is why I find it so crucial for women like myself to enter the field and be the change we want to see.

Working at a community-based technology help desk has really helped shape my understanding and devotion to the STEM field. The environment not only encapsulates a day in the life of an IT professional but deploys service in a manner that genuinely centers members of the community. This position not only solidified my already passionate interest in information technology as a career. It has also significantly expanded and strengthened my contextual understanding of the field and its impact on those who interact with it daily. It allows a distinct orientation to the field where you are not only simultaneously teaching and helping others but consistently learning and testing your current skills as the software complications that arise are infinite. The ambiguity concerning what skills you will need to deploy daily is inherently valuable and has provided me with a unique, well-rounded toolkit of technical and nontechnical skills. Any substantial change in technology for the better has to come first from a holistic understanding of the capabilities and appraisals of an audience with an extensive range of technical expertise and opinions. I plan to use the technical skills I have acquired thus far to challenge the creation of discriminatory algorithms and different forms of artificial intelligence that disproportionately incite harm and exclusion for marginalized communities. While technology is a field of itself in the 21st century it has practically become the backbone of nearly every surrounding field. It has also been shown to have a direct correlation with their success and longevity. Even though it is a crucial component many fields have not invested in refining their software and have outdated and racialized algorithms that bring significant harm to the communities they serve. Many understand technology as a race-neutral field that cannot be discriminatory as we are working with computers and non-political concepts. This has been proven false as technology can often take on the racial lens of its programmers and be utilized by racist organizations to advance their goals. Many forms of AI have been heavily condemned for their inability to recognize non-white skin and features or simply not function at maximum capabilities when used by people of color. Outside of this technology can be weaponized to exclude or target marginalized communities. Police have been found to use predictive policing data algorithms that encourage the importunate questioning, stopping, and arrest of black and brown people. Seemingly innocent technology such as cameras, robots, and algorithms are consistently utilized by police to target and aid the advancement of things such as “Stop and Frisk” and “Broken Windows Policing”. Due to the large racial underrepresentation of black and brown people in technology many marginalized communities are left feeling hopeless to the injustices I listed above. It is essential that people who come from these communities are placed in administrative and technical roles to help prevent the misuse of software and the creation of problematic applications. My degree will help create the pathway to me being a voice for my community as a black woman to help change the whitewashing that currently exists and be devoted to finding ways to change these dynamics. To conclude, there is much potential to diversify and challenge the already conservative ideals that exist in information technology. I plan to use my degree to be an influential leader in the field that helps to incite long-term inclusion and helps deconstruct the discriminatory parallels that currently exist.