Source: School of Information
Ron Eglash
Ron Eglash
University of Michigan School of Information professor Ron Eglash was appointed a 2024 University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor at the July Board of Regents meeting. The honor recognizes faculty who have demonstrated exceptional contributions to diversity, equity and inclusion through research, teaching and service.
“This is such an honor,” Eglash says. “I am very grateful for the folks who granted permission to share their Indigenous knowledge, urban crafting and other ‘heritage algorithms’ with our team, as well as the university students, faculty and programs that helped turn these into computational tools for empowering those communities. Decolonization is not just a critique, it also has a positive, generative role to play in the advancement of science and technology.’”
Eglash, a founding figure in the science and technology subfields of ethnocomputing and ethnomathematics, joined UMSI in 2018. His research focuses on fundamental questions about human nature and technology. Eglash’s work on fractals has been integral in understanding and recognizing the impact African cultures have had on science, technology, engineering and math.
Eglash was nominated by UMSI professor and dean Andrea Forte.
“Eglash’s passion for justice is evident in his work and he has been instrumental in bridging culturally significant design concepts with contemporary STEM fields,” Dean Forte says. “His work in cultural and computational fields, particularly his exploration of African fractals and culturally responsive STEM education, has had profound academic and societal impacts.”
