STS

Global Social Benefit Incubator Receives Three-Year Grant from Skoll Foundation

layala@scu.edu (Laura Ayala) — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 09:31:11 PST

Santa Clara University's Global Social Benefit Incubator (GSBI®) initiative, a signature program of the university's Center for Science, Technology, and Society, was recently awarded a $1.08 million grant from the Skoll Foundation. The grant will allow the program to focus on a selected vertical sector each year, expand geographic coverage, and better disseminate the lessons learned from the program.

2006 Nobel Peace Prize Winner and Micro-Credit Pioneer Muhammad Yunus to Deliver Keynote Nov 13th, 2008

layala@scu.edu (Laura Ayala) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 09:48:21 PST

Muhammad Yunus, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and recipient of the 2008 James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award will address a global audience of social entrepreneurs at a day-long conference titled "Transformative Changes Through Science and Technology: The Role for Social Benefit Entrepreneurs," produced by Santa Clara University's Center for Science, Technology, and Society. The conference will take place on Thursday, November 13th, 2008, and will address the uses of science and technology to solve a wide range of social and environmental challenges around the world, particularly in developing countries.

Playing God or serving mammon? Catholic ethical concerns about transgenic crop technologies

layala@scu.edu (Laura Ayala) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:33:29 PST

Keith Douglass Warner OFM-- Initial religious ethical responses to genetically engineered seeds raised concerns about the invasive nature of the technologies, and their environmental consequences. During the 1990s, some leaders suggested that using genetic engineering may be "playing God" by manipulating the fabric of life, and thus be intrinsically morally problematic.

Values in Computer and Information Systems Design (VID)

layala@scu.edu (Laura Ayala) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:23:31 PST

The second international graduate workshop, Values in Computer and Information Systems Design (VID) will be held at Santa Clara University from Aug 8 - 16. VID refers to the ways social and political values get built into information and communications technology. The workshop's goal is to create an interdisciplinary research community and to train faculty to develop an agenda for value-centered design.

Center Distinguished Visiting Professor Manuel Castells

layala@scu.edu (Laura Ayala) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:18:06 PST

Earlier this summer, Center Distinguished Visiting Professor Manuel Castells gave a talk titled Communication, Technology, and Power. His session focused on what he sees as one of the key developments in technology in the last 20 years?mass self communication and its dramatic effect on various societal aspects including power relationships, the practice of politics, and media ownership.

Center for Science, Technology, and Society KnowledeX Program

layala@scu.edu (Laura Ayala) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:30:56 PST

KnowledeX is a research and development program, funded by the Applied Materials Foundation, that examines ways to improve information exchange between social enterprises. The program?s primary focus is how scientific, technical and practical knowledge can be shared among individuals and organizations to solve quality of life problems for those most in need.

The 2008 Tech Awards

layala@scu.edu (Laura Ayala) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:48:35 PST

The Tech Awards Program honors 25 innovators from around the world who are applying technology to benefit humanity in five categories: Environment, Economic Development, Education, Health, and Equality. The Award categories are based on the fifteen Global Challenges identified in the State of the Future report, published by the Millennium Project of the American Council of the United Nations University.

Long time friend and colleague Steve Cisler passes away in May

bwashburn@scu.edu (Brian Washburn) — Thu, 29 May 2008 03:47:43 PST

As Project Manager for the Center's KnowledeX project, Steve was actively involved in the creation of an innovative online environment for social entrepreneurs in the Technology Benefiting Humanity and Global Social Benefit Incubator (GSBI) programs.

Dinner Honors Center Advisory Board members including McKenna, Morgan and Coleman

bwashburn@scu.edu (Brian Washburn) — Wed, 28 May 2008 03:38:40 PST

As part of a 10 year anniversary celebration, the Center offered special acknowledgment to McKenna who was celebrating his retirement as board chair after 11 years, "passing the baton" to Coleman. Also recognized was Jim Morgan whose leadership was critical in founding and launching the Center.

The Center welcomes Andy Lieberman

jdelgado@scu.edu (Jose Delgado) — Sat, 24 May 2008 09:55:46 PST

The Center welcomes Andy Lieberman as the new KnowledeX project manager, an online community of practice for social benefit entrepreneurs, sponsored by Applied Materials.

The sixth annual social benefit entrepreneur workshop, the Global Social Benefit Incubator (GSBI), is scheduled for August 17 through August 29

jdelgado@scu.edu (Jose Delgado) — Wed, 21 May 2008 03:25:57 PST

This year's workshop, presented by the Center for Science, Technology, and Society and the Leavey School of Business, will be held for the sixth time on Santa Clara University's campus from Sunday, August 17 through Friday, August 29.

The first project in the KnowledeX Program (funded by Applied Materials Foundation) is to create an online communication and collaboration environment to support and enhance the work of social benefit entrepreneurs.

layala@scu.edu (Laura Ayala) — Sat, 17 May 2008 11:31:45 PST

The KnowledeX Program was launched in the Fall of 2007 thanks to the generous support of the Applied Materials Foundation. Its vision is for “A world where social enterprises and key supporting organizations around the world develop and share scientific, technical, and practical knowledge that improves the quality of life of those most in need.”

Our first project is to create an online communication and collaboration environment to support and enhance the work of social benefit entrepreneurs. We will be working directly with the individuals and organizations recognized by the Technology Benefiting Humanity Awards Program and the participants in the Global Social Benefit Incubator.

The most awaited resource that the KnowledeX site will include is a member database. Members will be able to maintain a current description of their work, as well as partnering opportunities and needs. We will leverage the database to identify opportunities for members to partner with each other. Further, foundations, investors, corporations, and interested individuals will have an integrated system through which they can identify organizations with which they would like to explore partnering opportunities.

The KnowledeX online environment is currently under development and will be launched in September, 2008. For more information, please contact Andy Lieberman, KnowledeX Program Manager, at alieberman@scu.edu or (408)551-6043.

Pedro Hernández-Ramos, Associate Director of the STS Center, is promoted to Associate Professor

jdelgado@scu.edu (Jose Delgado) — Sat, 10 May 2008 03:25:49 PST

Earlier this month University President Paul Locatelli, S.J. announced faculty who have recently been awarded tenure and/or promotion for their remarkable contributions to their students, their respective disciplines, and the university.

One of those receiving tenure and being promoted to the rank of associate professor was the Center’s Associate Director, Pedro Hernández-Ramos.

Pedro is a terrific colleague who brings warmth, intelligence and insight to all his work. As a core member of the Center’s faculty he has helped conceive, organize and put on a wide range of events from the international conferences and events (such as the Silicon Valley Challenge Summit to being a panel member and presenter at symposia events (most recently on the politics of Wikipedia). He is currently leading our KnowledeX program.

Pedro’s bio

Please join us in congratulating Pedro!

Dr. Allen Hammond, World Resources Institute, will lead community-based water treatment sector in 2008 GSBI class

jdelgado@scu.edu (Jose Delgado) — Fri, 09 May 2008 03:52:27 PST

We are pleased to announce a formal partnership with the World Resources Institute, under which Dr. Allen Hammond will spend some of his time this year as a senior research fellow at Santa Clara University’s Center for Science, Technology, and Society.

Dr. Hammond, a world leader in “Base of the Pyramid” (BOP) business strategies and market structure, will work with Center leadership and the GSBI team in particular to recruit a cluster of enterprises in the community-based water treatment sector to participate in the 2008 GSBI class.

Through mentoring, information sharing, and analytical activities Dr. Hammond will lead the development of analytical models for these enterprises, applicable in several countries. These findings, along with detailed sector analyses underway at WRI, will help to clarify both the market opportunities these enterprises represent and what business and technology models can best address these opportunities.

Listen to a recent Interview with Allen Hammond on Silicon Valley's role in addressing major problems in the developing world such as health care; his work with the Global Social Benefit Incubator program, including a water sector strategy; and an update on his telecommunications project in Vietnam

Vann Addresses Water Governance Practices and Research Methods in Recent Tour

bwashburn@scu.edu (Brian Washburn) — Thu, 08 May 2008 03:25:00 PST

Katie just returned from a lecture tour in Northern Europe. One of the talks she gave was at the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research in Amsterdam. The conference was convened as an occasion during which researchers working with the Shifts in Governance Programme could share knowledge about governance theory, methods, and phenomena.

Research Fellow to assist in Science, Religion, and Public Policy programming

jdelgado@scu.edu (Jose Delgado) — Sun, 04 May 2008 03:58:05 PST

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Mark Graves as a Research Fellow, serving as a member of the planning team for the Center?s programming in the area of Science, Religion, and Public Policy. His extensive education, research, and leadership roles in both technical and scientific sectors, coupled with his scholarly theological work will bring a unique perspective to the development of this new area of activity for the Center.