Yash Tadimalla

Studying AI + Education +  Intersectionality[1] for Social Good 


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Hello, Yash Here

I am a Doctoral student at UNC Charlotte, under the Interdisciplinary track (Computer Science & Sociology) in the College of Computing and Informatics under the guidance of Dr. Mary Lou Maher.  My research agenda explores how an individual's identity influences their interaction with and learning of technology, particularly in the domains of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Computer Science (CS) education. My dissertation is on how identity impacts people's perception and interaction with AI. 

I am currently assisting various research projects under the Center for Humane AI, the Center for Education Innovation (CEI) Lab, and the Human-Centered Computing (HCC) Lab. My research work in these centers has been facilitated through various NSF grants on understanding and analyzing various forms of inequities in computer science and AI education through an intersectional lens. 

Serving as the President-elect of the World Student Platform for Engineering Education and Development (SPEED) and the Technology Focal Point for UNMGCY Science Policy Interface, I advocate for the equitable advancement of STEM education on a global scale, actively fostering youth participation in STEM initiatives and policy work through engagements with the United Nations Major Group and stakeholder mechanisms. Prior to my advocacy work in the North Carolina Region, I served under various UN SDG initiatives and Community Service projects advocating and understanding equitable education access across multiple countries in Southeast Asia. 

A background in business, technology, policy, and education with a passion for serving underrepresented communities allows me to bring a unique perspective to the research and advocacy efforts I pursue. 

Research Areas: AI Education, Literacy and Access, Intersectionality in Identity Research, CS Education, Diversity Equity and Inclusivity Research, Human-Centered Computing, Data Science

Positionality Statement 

I am a first-generation immigrant and graduate student. I identify as a cis-man and use the pronouns He,Him,His. I am able-bodied and in my mid-20s. I identify ethnically as South-east Indian. I was raised as the first born of two children in a single-income, middle-class family that had acess to healthcare and education. 

{1}- Crenshaw, Kimberle () "Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics," University of Chicago Legal Forum: Vol. 1989: Iss. 1, Article 8. Available at: http://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/uclf/vol1989/iss1/8