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Rebooting NYC: An Urban Tech Agenda for the Next Administration shows how City government can more effectively use technology to serve all New Yorkers equitably and efficiently 

Draft recommendations now open for public comment HERE

May 12, 2021 –– The Jacobs Institute Urban Tech Hub at Cornell Tech today released proposals from its Rebooting NYC: An Urban Tech Agenda for the Next Administration, a set of strategic recommendations for how the Mayor, City Council, Comptroller, Public Advocate, and Borough Presidents can leverage new technologies to improve the lives of all New Yorkers. Authored by a team led by Rohit T. “Rit” Aggarwala, the Hub’s Senior Urban Tech Fellow, the proposals include ten specific tech concepts covering everything from protecting data privacy to improving city streets with specific recommendations on new technologies, revamped agency responsibilities and examples of case studies of where these policies have been successfully implemented in other cities. The recommendations were developed by the Urban Tech Hub team after extensive research, including consulting with more than 120 individuals from  New York City’s civic and tech communities, and  experts from across the country and around the world. The final recommendations will be released in late summer following a public comment and review period. Read the full report and comment on the draft recommendations here.

The draft document is the first original publication from the Jacobs Urban Tech Hub, a new center of activity at Cornell Tech led by founding director Michael M. Samuelian, that brings together applied research, startups, partnerships and convenings focused on the expanding role of technology in cities. Launched in 2020, the Hub brings together researchers, entrepreneurs, community organizations, industry leaders and government officials to develop new approaches to addressing urban challenges facing cities today.

“The Urban Tech Hub was created to advance a dialogue with New Yorkers about how we can responsibly and equitably use new technologies to improve the quality of life for those who live and work in cities. By bringing together experts in urban planning, civic engagement, government and technology, we can leverage the power of technology to make cities stronger, fairer and more resilient. The innovative proposals in Rebooting NYC build on the success of existing government initiatives and identifies bold new ideas for New Yorkers to consider as we head into a new generation  of leadership at City Hall,” said Michael Samuelian, Founding Director of the Urban Tech Hub.

“This year’s election will set the course for urban technology in New York for a decade.  We are very excited to release our initial draft of Rebooting NYC and start a dialogue with New Yorkers about how technology can improve our lives. In developing these proposals with a series of experts, we focused on actions that were innovative and would drive change for New Yorkers, but we’re also realistic and able to be implemented. We look forward to talking to New Yorkers to finalize a slate of impactful priorities for the next generation of Urban Tech in New York,” said Rit Aggarwala, Senior Urban Tech Fellow at the Urban Tech Hub.

Rebooting NYC proposes a set of recommendations for the next Mayor of New York City and other elected officials to consider as they start work in 2022. The recommendations address challenges across five broad subject areas, ranging from foundational needs such as data privacy and the structure of technology management, to future-proofing technology policy by being more proactive in engaging with technology companies and organizations. The recommendations include:  

1. Bring data accountability to New York City with a municipal privacy law and oversight 

Urban technology will be held back unless New Yorkers can be convinced that data will not be used illegitimately.  Data collection in the public realm relies on the implicit consent of the people who are being observed. But today, little constrains how City agencies and private actors use data they collect, which is a critical point of friction against public trust. It is too easy for data to be used for surveillance, in many cases without warrants, and disproportionately in communities of color and low-income neighborhoods. Rebooting NYC proposes that the City Council enact an overarching municipal privacy law to ensure that data collected in the public realm be used only in ways consistent with the public’s understanding of how and why it was collected, and the establishment of a central oversight office for privacy and data accountability.

2. Bridge the digital divide while improving city-wide grid resiliency with a new Broadband Development Corporation

With 29% of New York City households lacking broadband access, and a multi-decade strategy of relying on the private sector to solve the problem failing to fully materialize, the city must take action. The City’s recently released Internet Master Plan and its proposed open-access fiber network is a great place for the next administration to start, but the city needs a governance plan to make it happen, and it must think longer-term. Rebooting NYC proposes the creation of a Broadband Development Corporation to oversee the development of a city-wide open access fiber broadband network as part of a city-wide network of utility tunnels to ensure long-term grid resiliency.

3. Optimize urban systems through the accelerated adoption of new technologies that make city streets and buildings safer and better

New demands on our streets from an increase in delivery vehicles have made them even more unsafe and chaotic due to a lack of enforcement, a lack of coordination, and a lack of space for new types of vehicles. Digital systems — such as cameras to record illegal driving behavior — can provide solutions so all vehicle operations rules are enforced consistently, pervasively, and impartially. Rebooting NYC advocates for the expansion of digital traffic enforcement to make our streets safer, curbside management systems to make parking more predictable and reduce double parking, and the re-designing and expansion of the bike lane network to welcome a wide range of urban-scale, slow-speed vehicles such as cargo bikes, scooters, and small autonomous transit and delivery vehicles.

Building in New York City is very expensive, not as safe as it should be, and more disruptive than necessary. Rebooting NYC proposes a set of ideas to make construction safer, less intrusive and less expensive, including: the use of drones for visual inspections of building facades to improve facade and worker safety while reducing the number of unnecessary sidewalk sheds; and to streamline the building permit and inspection processes by using technology to check plans for building code compliance.

4. Reduce barriers to public benefits by making it easier to sign up for, and navigate, the city’s public benefits system

Millions of New Yorkers need social services from the City, ranging from direct financial assistance for senior citizens to public education for children. These interactions between the public and the city agencies should be seamless, however, each agency has their own way of keeping track of an individual’s information leading to a complicated and lengthy process that serves as a barrier to access. Rebooting NYC proposes a “data locker” system through which New Yorkers can gather their information and share it in a standardized way with multiple agencies, and establish a universal approach to applying for services across all City programs.

5. Improve representation in local government by making public meetings more accessible and participatory

New York’s 59 Community Boards are a critical component of the City’s government, providing the link between a large, consolidated municipal government and the neighborhoods in which we live and work. The COVID-19 pandemic forced Community Board meetings online and in doing so, removed a significant barrier to attendance and participation. Rebooting NYC advocates for continuing the option of virtual attendance and the introduction of new technologies such as auto-translation, and key-word alerts to make meetings more accessible and representative.

The Jacobs Urban Tech Hub includes a first-of-its-kind dual master’s degree focused on making cities more resilient, connected, and equitable. Jacobs welcomed its first graduate students this past fall. The concentration provides students the opportunity to pursue emerging sectors in urban innovation including mobility and transportation, real estate/property tech and construction, logistics and delivery, energy and other utilities, intelligent buildings and infrastructure, civic and urban community technology, and other areas of technology transformation in urban settings. 

“We are proud to release these draft recommendations today to further engage New Yorkers on how digital technologies can improve their lives. The Jacobs Institute was founded to bring together the unique combination of public policy, industry engagement, and deep tech skills. From health to urbanism to media, our programs are having an impact on some of the biggest and most important industries in New York,” said Ron Brachman, Director of the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute. 

About Cornell Tech

Cornell Tech is Cornell University’s groundbreaking campus for technology research and education on Roosevelt Island in New York City. Our faculty, students and industry partners work together in an ultra-collaborative environment, pushing inquiry further and developing meaningful technologies for a digital society. Founded in partnership with the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and the City of New York, Cornell Tech achieves global reach and local impact, extending Cornell University’s long history of leading innovation in computer science and engineering.

About Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute

The Jacobs Institute fosters radical experimentation at the intersection of research, education, and entrepreneurship. Established jointly by Cornell University and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, our mission is to transform key industries through technological innovation, deep-tech startups, and uniquely skilled talent.

The Jacobs Institute degree programs equip students to take on complex, real-world challenges through interdisciplinary, domain-focused work. Recent PhD graduates work through the Jacobs Runway Startup Postdoctoral Program to apply their knowledge as they lead teams and build companies in industries critical to the 21st century.

About the Urban Tech Hub

The Urban Tech Hub of the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute at Cornell Tech is a center of activity that generates applied research, fosters an expanding tech ecosystem, and cultivates the next generation of leaders in urban technology. Our goal is to shape the field of urban tech with a human-centered approach that focuses first on the people that use the technology. We advance technology research and education to build a better world by increasing access and opportunity within the tech sector.

The Jacobs Urban Tech Hub leverages the resources of Cornell University (and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology) to bring together researchers, engineers, scientists, urban tech companies, government agencies, and community organizations to address the challenges facing cities today.


Supported by Pivotal Ventures, a Melinda Gates company, Get Cities will help grow tech ecosystems that have gender equity at the core of how they educate, select and promote talent

Established at Cornell Tech, Break Through Tech expands its program to new hubs around the country to bring gender equality in tech

Washington, DC — Gender Equality in Tech (GET) Cities, led by SecondMuse and Break Through Tech in partnership with Pivotal Ventures, today launched GET DC as its next city hub. As part of Pivotal Venture’s $50 million investment in GET Cities, GET DC will work collaboratively with the metro region’s tech ecosystem to propel more women and underrepresented groups into tech education, careers, and leadership.

“The tech industry impacts all of us, which is why it needs to include all of us—especially women and other underrepresented groups,” said Dr. Renee Wittemyer, Pivotal Ventures Director of Program Strategy and Investment. “We are excited that GET Cities is coming to the DC Metro Area to help accelerate women’s representation and leadership in this growing tech hub. Great ideas can come from anyone, anywhere, which is why it is critical to support tech talent across the country.”

The combination of the current economic crisis brought on by the COVID pandemic – along with the growing national awareness of inequities across gender, race, and other underrepresented identities in society – make this a critical time to scale a movement toward equity in tech. Tech is an industry with the growth potential to support the kind of economic empowerment that should be available to all of us, and women and other underrepresented groups bring essential skills and experience to build a thriving economy.

GET DC will build on the model of the first city of the initiative, GET Chicago, to create an inclusive tech economy by focusing on three key pillars — academia, industry, and entrepreneurship . Specifically, it aims to:

  • Build resilient pathways into tech: Break Through Tech will propel women at George Mason University and University of Maryland, College Park into tech careers through programs that encourage and incentivize more women to pursue computing degrees and then support them along their educational journey with real-world experiences and a network of supportive professionals and peers.
  • Align the local tech and entrepreneurial ecosystems: SecondMuse will convene city-based partners and collaborate on increasing women’s leadership and representation in all aspects of the tech economy from the startup world to the largest industry players. City partners include the aforementioned dual academic partnership, tech companies, the VC and startup community, and local and national advocacy organizations.

When selecting a new hub, GET Cities looks at the broad state of gender equity in tech and identifies cities that have strong diversity and the opportunity for impact. DC consistently ranks as one of the best cities for tech due to its growing tech talent pool, proximity to federal government infrastructure and data centers, and the number of Fortune 1000 companies headquartered in the metro area. GET DC is committed to working in the DC Metro Area to accelerate the representation and leadership of women and other underrepresented people in tech, with the mission of supporting the growth of an inclusive tech economy.

“When looking for the right levers to pull to accelerate the influence of women, trans, and non-binary people in tech – particularly Black, indigenous, and people of color – we want to be able to make an immediate and real impact. We see a lot of opportunity in the DC Metro Area because of its ongoing investments in its regional tech economy and its work around equity with regard to gender and race. And we’re excited about building partnerships across advocacy to add to our ecosystem approach currently focused on academia, industry, and entrepreneurship.” Leslie Lynn Smith, National Director GET Cities

Break Through Tech, a national initiative that began at Cornell Tech in New York City, will bring together the supply side (academia) and the demand side (industry) to build an ecosystem where more women are graduating with relevant degrees today and finding an inclusive career environment waiting for them for years to come. In Break Through Tech’s founding city, the program partnered with the City University of New York, which saw an increase in the number of women pursuing computer science degrees by 61% since Break Through Tech New York launched in 2016.

Break Through Tech chose George Mason University and the University of Maryland, College Park to launch a cross-institutional collaboration with the goal of increasing women graduating with a tech degree by 12.5 percentage points at each university by 2026. Break Through Tech’s immersive program will include (but is not limited to): summer programming to ignite interest in tech; new introductory computer science courses designed to encourage inclusion; innovative internship programs to provide real world experiences early in college; and the development of a networked community of women in the DC Metro Area to support, engage, and motivate one another.

“GET DC will impact an emerging tech hub that’s bustling with opportunity for women and underrepresented groups in an industry that continues to trend more male and white. Break Through Tech will work towards tackling two key hurdles  for women — access and experience,” says Judith Spitz, Founder and Executive Director at Break Through Tech. “Thanks to our GET Cities partner Pivotal Ventures, and Break Through Tech’s additional national expansion funders Cognizant U.S. Foundation and Verizon, our program will continue to reach new hubs around the country, building a more inclusive tech economy.”

“Computer science is a growing and lucrative field, yet less than 20% of computer science degrees in this country are awarded to women,” George Mason University President Gregory Washington said. “George Mason is the largest producer of tech talent in Virginia, and this partnership with Break Through Tech will provide additional opportunities for women to excel in computer science, broadening the capabilities of the digital workforce.”

“The University of Maryland is committed to making computing inclusive and accessible for all,” said University of Maryland President Darryll J. Pines. “Break Through Tech will contribute to our efforts with programs focused on increasing the graduation rate and success of the nearly 1,000 women in our computer science and information science majors.”

GET Cities will announce its third city later in 2021. To learn more about GET DC and GET Cities and to get involved, please visit: https://www.getcities.org/

About GET Cities

GET Cities is an initiative designed to accelerate the representation and leadership of women in tech through the development of inclusive tech hubs across the United States. Launched in 2020, GET Cities is led by SecondMuse and Break Through Tech, in partnership with Pivotal Ventures, the investment and incubation company  created by Melinda Gates. Now in Chicago and the DC Metro Area, GET Cities will launch its third city later in 2021.

About SecondMuse

SecondMuse is an impact and innovation company that builds resilient economies by supporting entrepreneurs and the ecosystems around them. They do this by designing, developing, and implementing a mix of innovation programming and investing capital. From Singapore to San Francisco, SecondMuse programs define inspiring visions, build lasting businesses, and unite people across the globe. Over the last decade, they’ve designed and implemented programs on 7 continents with 600+ organizations such as NASA, The World Bank, and Nike. To find out more about how SecondMuse is positively shaping the world, visit: www.secondmuse.com.

About Break Through Tech

Launched at Cornell Tech, with support from Pivotal Ventures, Cognizant U.S. Foundation, and Verizon, Break Through Tech provides curriculum innovation, career access, and community building for women in tech. The program originated in 2016 as a program called Women in Technology & Entrepreneurship New York (WiTNY), created at Cornell Tech in partnership with the City University of New York (CUNY) and a broad set of industry partners. Now Break Through Tech is replicating the highly effective ecosystem model originated in New York City to increase women’s representation in computing graduates across the United States. To date, the program is in New York City, Chicago, and the DC Metro Area.

Media Contact Information:

Alisha Golden

Chief Public Relations Officer | Plan A

alisha@youareplana.com

+1.717.982.7961


Urban Tech Hub launches this fall, focusing on innovators and entrepreneurs committed to making cities more livable and adaptable through technology

Michael Samuelian’s private and public sector leadership will shape Urban Tech’s mission to address major challenges facing cities including climate change, resiliency, mobility, and social inequality

April 22, 2020 — The Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute at Cornell Tech today announced that urban planner Michael Samuelian will be the Founding Director of Urban Tech, a new hub that combines applied research, startups, and a first-of-its-kind dual master’s degree focused on making cities more resilient, connected, and equitable. Samuelian’s private and public sector leadership roles on projects throughout New York such as Governors Island, rebuilding Lower Manhattan, and the development of Hudson Yards — along with deep experience in academia — will shape Urban Tech’s collaborative approach to solve pressing urban challenges. The inaugural Urban Tech class begins in Fall 2020.

“Throughout his career, Michael has transformed grand visions into real-world solutions, which is what we challenge our students to do every day at Cornell Tech,” said Greg Morrisett, the Jack and Rilla Neafsey Dean and Vice Provost of Cornell Tech. “From re-envisioning Lower Manhattan after 9/11 to developing an entirely new neighborhood over a railyard, Michael’s ability to direct bold initiatives while creating benefits for all New Yorkers will be an inspiration to our students. With a world-class faculty and innovative industry partnerships, Urban Tech will quickly emerge as a living laboratory for technologists and urbanists alike who want to take on the biggest problems facing cities today.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Michael to the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute, joining our innovative leaders who helm the Institute’s other concentrations in Connective Media and Health Tech,” said Ron Brachman, Director of the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute. “Built on a foundation of radical experimentation, the Jacobs Institute has already produced several Urban Tech companies through our Runway Startup Postdoc program. Now with Michael’s leadership and extensive background in the public and private sectors, the broad and ambitious mission of the new hub will be guided and accelerated, to develop new leaders, emerging technologies, innovative partnerships, and successful companies that will have a positive impact on New York and cities around the globe.”

Samuelian is an urban planner, architect, and real estate developer who has been at the forefront of some of the most transformational projects in New York City. Prior to joining the Jacobs Institute, Samuelian most recently served as the President and CEO of The Trust for Governors Island, significantly expanding the public’s access to the island, forging important cultural and educational partnerships, and developing a strategic plan for the island’s sustainable future. Prior to that, he was a Vice President at Related Companies, responsible for planning and design of Hudson Yards. After 9/11 he oversaw the redevelopment of Lower Manhattan as the Director of Lower Manhattan Special Projects at the NYC Department of City Planning. He has also served as a professor and lecturer at Cooper Union, Harvard University, and Yale University.

“From transportation and mobility to income inequality and public health, the challenges cities face require collaborative solutions. These challenges are especially magnified in times of crisis, as we are seeing now with COVID-19,” said Michael Samuelian, Founding Director of the Urban Tech Hub. “Through the Urban Tech Hub, my goal is to bring the resources of academia and needs of the public and private sectors together to identify problems within communities, empower citizens, and work together to solve our major urban challenges. Cornell University, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, and Cornell Tech are committed to the application of learning and research to improve people’s lives, and I am honored to extend this mission with Urban Tech.”

The first Urban Tech graduate students will enroll in the dual-degree program this fall. The concentration provides students the opportunity to pursue emerging sectors in urban innovation including mobility and transportation, real estate/property tech and construction, logistics and delivery, energy and other utilities, intelligent buildings and infrastructure, civic and urban community technology, and other areas of technology transformation in urban settings. All students will also complete a two-semester Urban Tech Specialization Project that requires students to research a critical urban problem and develop an implementable tech solution.

Prior to the launch of the Hub, Cornell Tech students, researchers, and entrepreneurs have been pursuing projects in the Urban Tech field. Last fall, teams of graduate students worked on Urban Tech projects in the Product Studio course, where students across Cornell Tech’s seven masters programs tackled real-life challenges posed by businesses and organizations including ARUP, the MTA, the New York City Mayor’s Office, and the City of Mount Holyoke. The Jacobs Institute’s Runway Startup Postdoc program, which works with recent PhD graduates to turn deep research into startups, has already spun out several urban tech companies. Examples include Maalka, a data management platform that ensures buildings are meeting their ambitious sustainability goals, and OnSiteIQ, a service providing 360-degree visual monitoring of construction sites developed by experts in machine learning and computer vision.

About Cornell Tech

Cornell Tech’s degree programs and research initiatives provide responsive approaches to the rapid emergence of technologies and their societal impact in the digital age. Cornell Tech offers seven doctoral programs and seven master’s programs, including two dual-degree programs with the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology through the Jacobs Cornell-Technion Institute. Cornell Tech’s world-class faculty, graduate students, researchers, and postdoctoral entrepreneurs are focused on building better tuned, highly valuable and more accessible technology for commercial and community use. Key to Cornell Tech is its commitment to growing the tech sector within New York City. Cornell Tech students and postdocs have founded more than 70+ startups in New York City, creating more than 370 new jobs and attracting more than $75 million in investments. The campus also has a dedicated K-12 initiative to bring tech education into local schools, and the WiTNY program (now Break Through Tech), a partnership with City University of New York that is increasing the number of young New York City women who pursue degrees and careers in tech.

About Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute

The Jacobs Institute is the academic partnership between Cornell University and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology on the Cornell Tech campus. The Jacobs Institute fosters radical experimentation at the intersection of research, education, and entrepreneurship. Its mission is to transform key industries through technological innovation, deep-tech startups, and uniquely skilled talent.

The Jacobs Institute already offers two master’s programs in Connective Media and Health Tech. The programs equip students to take on complex, real-world challenges through interdisciplinary, domain-focused work, and students receive dual degrees from the Technion and Cornell. Recent PhD graduates work through the Jacobs Runway Startup Postdoctoral Program to apply their knowledge as they lead teams and build companies in industries critical to the 21st century.


Innovative Program Assists Survivors in New York City Remotely

New York, NY (April 3, 2020) — Survivors of intimate partner violence living through the COVID-19 crisis are depending more than ever on technology to keep them safe from harm — and Cornell Tech’s Clinic to End Tech Abuse (CETA) has created an innovative remote program to help them use their devices without fear of monitoring or stalking, CETA’s leadership said today.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created new ways for abusers to control victims, many of whom may have few alternatives to staying inside with someone who is trying to isolate and harm them. CETA has long provided in-person tech assistance to intimate partner violence survivors whose abusers are monitoring their phones and online accounts, and has now developed a system for offering such advice remotely — while avoiding alerting the abuser that the survivor is seeking help.

“Finding safe ways to give advice to abuse survivors who fear their partners are monitoring every call, chat, or email has been especially challenging during this difficult time — but necessity is the parent of invention,” said Sarah St.Vincent, Director of CETA. “As survivors turn to technology more than ever to connect with social services and the outside world, we’re here to help prevent abusers from taking advantage of the crisis.”

CETA partners with the New York City Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence (ENDGBV) and the city’s Family Justice Centers to provide the clinic’s services to survivors. This collaboration has continued during the pandemic, with case workers able to refer their clients to these City agencies to set up consultations with the clinic about possible tech-enabled abuse.

CETA’s new program uses careful strategies for advising survivors or their case workers remotely, and the clinic has held pilot sessions during the past week to test and strengthen its approach. Volunteers will also produce online how-to guides that survivors and those assisting them can use for self-help, while researchers at Cornell Tech study how best to serve people experiencing tech abuse during a crisis.

New Yorkers who worry that their current or former partners are using technology to harm them can contact their local FJC to request an appointment with the clinic.

“We’re determined to continue helping survivors in every borough throughout the COVID-19 crisis,” St.Vincent concluded. “There’s never an excuse for intimate partner violence, and our team is here to help survivors keep their digital lifelines.”

For more information, contact:

Sarah St.Vincent, CETA Director –  stvincent@cornell.edu, (917) 960-9493, @Sarah_StVincent

Cornell Tech PR: cornell@berlinrosen.com

About Cornell Tech

Cornell Tech’s degree programs and research initiatives provide responsive approaches to the rapid emergence of technologies and their societal impact in the digital age. Cornell Tech offers seven doctoral programs and seven master’s programs, including two dual-degree programs with the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology through the Jacobs Cornell-Technion Institute. Cornell Tech’s world-class faculty, graduate students, researchers, and postdoctoral entrepreneurs are focused on building better tuned, highly valuable and more accessible technology for commercial and community use. Key to Cornell Tech is its commitment to growing the tech sector within New York City. Cornell Tech students and postdocs have founded more than 70+ startups in New York City, creating more than 370 new jobs and attracting more than $75 million in investments. The campus also has a dedicated K-12 initiative to bring tech education into local schools, and the WiTNY program (now Break Through Tech), a partnership with City University of New York that is increasing the number of young New York City women who pursue degrees and careers in tech.


Sandra Ebirim, Jacobs Technion-Cornell Dual Master of Science Degrees with a Concentration in Connective Media ‘20, was born and raised near Chicago. She received a BA in Neuroscience with a minor in Health Care Studies from the University of Southern California.

What is your favorite class this semester?

My favorite class this semester has been Interactive Devices Design. It’s a balance of hands-on applications while developing coding skills in different languages as well as hardware skills. However, it’s also very flexible in terms of the required skill level in that you have the ability to make assignments as simple or complex as you want them to be based on your own background and skill coming in.

What excites you most about your program?

My favorite part about Connective Media is the opportunity to get an interdisciplinary education while integrating hands-on experience, through Studio, and a year-long research project which allows you to apply the concepts that you learn through courses. While there are many graduate programs out there, the ability to learn more than a standard curriculum and to develop skills that will be directly applicable in the industry is a very unique one.

Why did you choose Cornell Tech?

I was particularly interested in a technical program that strived to provide a full picture of interaction with technology. Not only does the coursework allow us to develop technical skills, through required and elective coursework, and business acumen, through Studio and optional courses, but also an insight into the user-facing component that is integral in all technical interfaces. It also looks particularly at the larger societal impact of technology, from its influence and uses in politics and elections to how it can be used to ultimately transform the way a number of different communities interact with the world.

What has surprised you most about Cornell Tech?

The most surprising aspect of Cornell Tech has been the diversity that can be found throughout every single program and how that marries so well into an impactful culture and overall experience. In addition to this, Cornell Tech has a level of community that is unconventional when it comes to traditional grad school programs.

What’s the most interesting use of technology you’ve seen lately?

I recently visited Toronto, Canada and learned about an NYC based company, Sidewalk Labs, which is essentially making steps towards building smarter cities. The idea is to use information gathered from sensors, such as air pollution levels and general activity level, to influence decision making when it comes to city growth. I found it really interesting because when it comes to expanding cities, technology isn’t really the first thing to come to mind. I’m also looking forward to seeing how this plan for impact ultimately materializes in the years to come.

What is one of your favorite things to do on the weekend in NYC?

One of my favorite things to do on a weekend in NYC is to try a new restaurant and explore a new neighborhood, hopefully finding a dog park in one of the many city parks.

In what way do you hope your work might affect others and society at large? 

I hope that the work that I do allows the use and development of technology in a way that benefits fields and communities that are not traditional technology-centric.

How do you describe Connective Media to your friends and family?

I describe it as a program that combines behavioral sciences and computer science into one program. I generally take technical CS courses like Machine Learning and Interactive Devices Design with a mix of more contextual courses such as Psychology and Social Aspects of Technology or HCI and Design.


Reality is changing. Extended Reality (XR) technologies, such as Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR), immerse users in computer-generated worlds or overlay digital content onto their physical surroundings, blending the real and the virtual.

However, for people with disabilities—including sensory impairments and mobility issues—these technologies pose serious challenges.

Shiri Azenkot, Assistant Professor at Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute at Cornell Tech, is leading a range of initiatives to ensure that XR will be accessible to all.

XR headsets, such as Microsoft HoloLens, have been around for some time but these technologies are not yet mainstream, said Azenkot. As they gain traction, they will become as commonplace as smartphones. “It’s going to be a shift, a new paradigm in the way we interact with technology.” she said.

Azenkot argues that we need to be proactive, not reactive, in making sure these new technologies are accessible to all. “Let’s not wait until the technology is mainstream and people are already marginalized. Let’s think about it now.”

New Technologies New Challenges

XR raises new questions about accessibility. VR, for example, tricks one’s senses into thinking they’re in another world and the implementation of this is very visual, said Azenkot. “For someone who has a visual impairment, it is completely inaccessible.”

Currently, VR headsets are predominantly used for gaming and watching 360° videos, she said. “But what about in five to seven years, when we have kids at school using VR to learn about STEM concepts or experience news stories about other countries?” Students with sensory impairments will be disadvantaged.

Likewise, XR technologies often involve movement in the real world as users interact with virtual spaces. “Now we need to think about people with mobility disabilities, people whose movement is not typical,” she said.

Accessibility solutions for these challenges do not yet exist as the technologies are still emerging, said Azenkot. In collaboration with partners at Verizon Media, Wheelhouse Group, and Partnership on Employment and Accessible Technology (PEAT) she is working to energize industry and academia around the importance of imminently tackling the issue.

This July, the Connected Experiences Lab at Cornell Tech hosted an XR Access symposium. “We wanted to harness the collective energy of everyone out there who is interested, who’s an activist, and who is working in this space,” said Azenkot.

The event attracted a full house of 120 attendees with others signed up on a waiting list. Among the practical outcomes was the establishment of six working groups focused on themes such as awareness, outreach, education, and hardware devices.

Moving forward, these groups will develop practical strategies for implementing accessibility solutions. These include establishing best practices and standards, looking at how designers can produce accessible content, and how enabling features can be incorporated in XR devices.

“We do not want a repeat of what happened with the web, of what happened with smartphones,” said Azenkot. “We want to make sure that these XR technologies will be accessible as they become commonplace consumer devices.”

Building a Movement

Azenkot works closely with her students at Cornell Tech. This summer, interns researched how text descriptions might be used in innovative ways to help people with visual impairments navigate XR environments. For example, by giving overviews of virtual spaces that convey the sense of immersion.

Azenkot points out that current research into XR accessibility is closely related to the area she has been working in for the last five years. “What we’ve been doing is looking at how we can leverage this new technology to solve accessibility problems.”

Her previous projects include looking at how XR can support people with low vision. For example, by using smart glasses to help users find products at grocery stores or AR to help people walk up and down stairs. The two research strands are complementary, she said. Making XR accessible and developing assistive technologies to address the diversity of humans need to go hand-in-hand.

Looking ahead, Azenkot will focus on developing the XR Access initiative, recruiting students to move the research forward and fostering industry collaborations. “We’re trying to start a movement here,” she said. “Now is the time for action.”


Break Through Tech will be a part of Pivotal Ventures’ $50M investment in the new Gender Equality in Tech (GET) Cities Initiative, to Unlock Opportunities for Women to Pursue Degrees and Careers in Tech Nationally

Founding Investments from Cognizant U.S. Foundation and Verizon Invest to Support National Expansion, Starting with the First City — Chicago

New York, NY (January 28, 2020) — Cornell Tech today announced the expansion of its successful WiTNY (Women in Technology & Entrepreneurship in New York) program to attract and retain women and other under-represented groups pursuing tech education and careers nationally. With its national expansion, the program will now be called Break Through Tech and take part in the new Gender Equality in Tech (GET) Cities initiative, designed to accelerate the representation of women in tech and supported by a $50 million investment from Pivotal Ventures, a Melinda Gates company, as well as Cognizant U.S. Foundation and Verizon.

In 2016, Cornell Tech launched the program in a strategic public-private partnership with the City University of New York (CUNY) and corporate partners to increase the number of women pursuing degrees and careers in tech, and diversify the tech talent pipeline. Since the launch of the program, the number of women graduating from CUNY with bachelor’s degrees in computer science has increased by 94%. With new funding from Pivotal Ventures, Cognizant U.S. Foundation, and Verizon, the national initiative Break Through Tech will expand to three new cities across the United States, starting with Chicago.

“Break Through Tech and Pivotal Ventures share a common goal to accelerate women’s power and influence in the U.S., especially in tech,” said Renee Wittemyer, Senior Lead of Tech Innovation at Pivotal Ventures. “Boosting representation of women in tech requires the work, investment, and collaboration of many players in the tech ecosystem and we are thrilled to have Break Through Tech’s innovative model to foster the coordination between companies, universities, and nonprofits to scale change.”

“Break Through Tech has developed a collaborative, systems-change approach to increasing the number of women in computer science, and the outcomes speak for themselves,” said Kristen Titus, Executive Director of the Cognizant U.S. Foundation. “The Foundation is committed to advancing gender equity in the workforce, and we’ve seen the impact of Break Through Tech’s work firsthand. We look forward to helping fuel its expansion alongside Pivotal Ventures, industry partners, and local institutions.”

“As a founding partner of WiTNY, we’ve seen their progress and community impact firsthand,” said Justina Nixon-Saintil, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at Verizon. “Now as Break Through Tech, this national expansion serves to lead and empower women to succeed in today’s digital economy. Driving innovation forward begins with having a diverse and inclusive workforce and we’re proud to support Break Through Tech’s efforts to enact social change.”

“Year after year, WiTNY, now Break Through Tech, has made progress getting women at CUNY, the largest and most diverse urban, public college system in the country, to pursue degrees and careers in tech. So many of the students we work with never thought the tech industry had a place for them, and the program has been transformational in their lives,” said Judith Spitz, Executive Director of Cornell Tech’s Break Through Tech Initiative. “Thanks to the new funding from Pivotal Ventures and the Cognizant U.S. Foundation and Verizon, we can scale the model nationally to continue to shift the tech workforce towards inclusivity and diversity.”

“It’s critical that students from all backgrounds are equipped with the technological skills needed to tackle the world’s problems, and Cornell is committed to fostering diversity and gender equity,” said Greg Morrisett, the Jack and Rilla Neafsey Dean and Vice Provost of Cornell Tech. “The Break Through Tech initiative is an incredible model that has already made a huge impact in New York and will do so around the country. We are so grateful for this recognition from Melinda Gates’ Pivotal Ventures, Cognizant U.S. Foundation, and Verizon to help us achieve our goals on a national scale.”

Pivotal Ventures, the investment and incubation company created by Melinda Gates, is partnering with Break Through Tech and SecondMuse to launch Gender Equality in Tech (GET) Cities, an initiative designed to accelerate the representation and leadership of women in tech through the development of inclusive tech hubs across the United States. A key goal for GET Cities is to propel more women into tech education, and ultimately tech careers, through Break Through Tech’s model of curriculum innovation, career access and community development in higher education. GET Cities will launch in Chicago, and be called GET Chicago.

The city of Chicago presents a tremendous opportunity for Break Through Tech to make a significant impact on the local tech community. The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) is Chicago’s public research university and Break Through Tech’s public institution partner. UIC has a reputation for providing access to education for many underrepresented groups and is a hub of innovation and cutting-edge research. Break Through Tech will partner with UIC and the local tech industry to deliver critical programmatic initiatives aimed at closing the gender gap in tech. UIC’s computer science department, which will spearhead efforts with Break Through Tech, is ranked 9th by CSRankings for artificial intelligence and machine learning research among the nation’s public universities. The department also ranks in the top 25 among all U.S. universities in four other major computer science disciplines. Enrollment in the computer science program, which is part of the university’s College of Engineering, has increased from 187 undergraduate students in 2005 to more than 1,400 students today.

“Chicago ranks second in the U.S. in number of computer science graduates and sixth in STEM workers. UIC is a big part of this, we have seen record enrollments at the university largely driven by our strength in engineering, especially computer science,” said TJ Augustine, UIC Vice Chancellor for Innovation. “Working with Break Through Tech and GET Cities to create a more inclusive tech environment in Chicago aligns with our commitments to diversity, to our students, and to positively impact our communities and civic and industry partners.”

In the new cities, Cornell Tech will utilize the founding WiTNY model that has led to success in New York City: partnering with a local public university system and working with corporations for innovative paid internship opportunities, industry mentorship, and support. Break Through Tech’s core programs will include:

  • Curriculum Innovation: To expand access to computer science and broaden the participation of women and other under-represented groups, Cornell Tech partners with a public institution and their faculty to offer new introductory computer science courses and workshops that teach students how to code and emphasize real-world applications of technology using an inclusive, team-based learning strategy with an eye towards recruitment and retention.
  • Career Development: To help program participants be more competitive when applying for summer internships (and ultimately jobs), Break Through Tech runs an innovative, three-week, paid internship program each winter break for freshman and sophomore college women and other eligible students. Held during the academic recess, Break Through Tech’s “Winternship” program gives students a resume credential and a real-world experience that increases their chances of landing a summer tech internship in a way that has a low barrier to entry for industry partners. It addresses the hurdles that many women and other under-represented groups in tech face when they try to get their foot in the door for summer internships: access and experience.
  • Community: Break Through Tech builds a community of women and other program participants with peer-to-peer networks and student-to-professional networks to support, engage, and motivate people. These networks are key for creating a sense of belonging, encouraging one another and having a network of contacts that can be sponsors and advocates, both during the Break Through Tech program and after entering the workforce.

 

“We are pleased to be part of the growing national network of institutions working to accomplish the important task of diversifying the tech talent pipeline,” said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “Along with Cornell Tech and our partners in the private sector, we are working to introduce a curriculum and expand opportunities for our students as we look to increase the number of women pursuing tech-related degrees and careers here at CUNY.”

Cornell Tech is focused on the rapid emergence of technologies and its societal impact in the digital age. Break Through Tech is a major initiative as part of Cornell Tech’s mission to drive societal impact beyond its campus. Cornell Tech’s new Associate Dean for Impact, Deborah Estrin, will similarly be focused on fostering strategic external relationships to further Break Through Tech’s vision across New York City.

To learn more about Break Through Tech, please visit: breakthroughtech.org. To learn more about GET Cities, please visit: getcities.org.

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About Break Through Tech

Launched at Cornell Tech, with support from Pivotal Ventures and Cognizant U.S. Foundation and Verizon, the initiative supports curriculum innovation in higher education, career opportunities, and community support for women and other underrepresented groups in tech. It originated in 2016 as a program called Women in Technology & Entrepreneurship New York (WiTNY), created at Cornell Tech in partnership with the City University of New York (CUNY) and a broad set of industry partners. Now Break Through Tech is replicating the highly innovative and effective ecosystem model it piloted in New York City to increase women’s representation in computing grads in more cities across the United States.

About Cornell Tech

Cornell Tech’s degree programs and research initiatives provide responsive approaches to the rapid emergence of technologies and their societal impact in the digital age. Cornell Tech offers seven doctoral programs and seven master’s programs, including two dual-degree programs with the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology through the Jacobs Cornell-Technion Institute. Cornell Tech’s world-class faculty, graduate students, researchers, and postdoctoral entrepreneurs are focused on building better tuned, highly valuable and more accessible technology for commercial and community use. Key to Cornell Tech is its commitment to growing the tech sector within New York City. Cornell Tech students and postdocs have founded more than 70+ startups in New York City, creating more than 370 new jobs and attracting more than $75 million in investments. The campus also has a dedicated K-12 initiative to bring tech education into local schools, and the WiTNY program (now Break Through Tech) , a partnership with City University of New York that is increasing the number of young New York City women who pursue degrees and careers in tech.

About Cognizant U.S. Foundation

The Cognizant U.S. Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private foundation supporting STEM education and skills training. Launched in 2018 with an initial $100 million investment from Cognizant, the Foundation has since awarded $21 million to organizations working to educate and train the next generation of workers in communities throughout the U.S.

About Verizon

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) was formed on June 30, 2000 and is celebrating its 20th year as one of the world’s leading providers of communications, information and entertainment products and services. Headquartered in New York City and with a presence around the world, Verizon generated revenues of $130.9 billion in 2018.  The company offers voice, data and video services and solutions on its award winning networks and platforms, delivering on customers’ demand for mobility, reliable network connectivity, security and control.

About UIC

Located in the heart of one of the world’s great cities, the University of Illinois at Chicago is the Chicago’s largest university and only public research institution. Its 16 academic colleges serve more than 33,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students. UIC is recognized as one of the most ethnically rich and culturally diverse campuses in the nation, a leader in providing access to underrepresented students. UIC students become professionals in fields ranging from business and engineering to education, liberal arts and sciences, urban planning, and social work, as well as architecture, design and the arts. With one of the largest colleges of medicine in the nation, and colleges of dentistry, pharmacy, public health, nursing, social work, and applied health sciences, UIC is the state’s principal educator of health professionals and a major healthcare provider to underserved communities. UIC is an integral part of the educational, technological, and cultural fabric of Chicago.

About CUNY

The City University of New York is the nation’s leading urban public university. Founded in 1847, CUNY counts 13 Nobel Prize and 23 MacArthur (“Genius”) grant winners among its alumni. CUNY students, alumni and faculty have garnered scores of other prestigious honors over the years in recognition of historic contributions to the advancement of the sciences, business, the arts and myriad other fields.  The University comprises 25 institutions: 11 senior colleges, seven community colleges, William E. Macaulay Honors College at CUNY, CUNY Graduate Center, Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies, CUNY School of Law, CUNY School of Professional Studies and CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy.  The University serves more than 275,000 degree-seeking students. CUNY offers online baccalaureate and master’s degrees through the School of Professional Studies.

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2019 was a transformational year for Cornell Tech.

We welcomed a new dean, Greg Morrisett, and said goodbye to our Founding Dean and Vice Provost Dan Huttenlocher. 

In spring, we celebrated 248 graduates across seven master’s programs and four PhD programs. The number of startups spun out of Cornell Tech reached 64, employing more than 250 people and raising over $78 million. 

At the start of the fall semester, we welcomed more than 300 master’s students, bringing our total master’s and PhD student population to over 400. We also launched the third hub and degree concentration at the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute — Urban Tech.

In addition to our growing student body, faculty, and staff, we broadened our work in the New York City community. We expanded our K-12 Teacher in Residence program into four new schools, increasing our reach to 5,000 public school students and 350 teachers. Our WiTNY (Women in Tech in NY) initiative, a partnership with CUNY, helped increase the number of CUNY women declaring majors in computer science by 27 percent and led to a 54 percent increase in summer tech internships for Winternship Program participants.

And that’s just the beginning. In case you missed anything, here are ten of the biggest Cornell Tech stories from 2019.


Cornell Tech Students Develop an Environmental App to be Implemented by City of Tel Aviv

Earlier this year, a group of Cornell Tech master’s students built an AR app, known as AiR, that will be developed and implemented for use throughout the city of Tel Aviv. This was done during a one-day ideation sprint sponsored by MindState, and was part of Cornell Tech’s annual iTrek program.

AiR will incentivize Tel Avivians to adopt environmentally friendly habits by performing specific tasks to accumulate rewards — such as free coffee and other similar perks — that can be redeemed at local businesses. Despite being the second-place winner, AiR was the only creation from the MindState challenge to be picked up by the Tel Aviv Municipality.

MindState Challenge participants


Bowtie Acquired by MINDBODY

In May, Cornell Tech alumni startup Bowtie — founded by Ron Fisher, Johnson Cornell Tech MBA ’16, Mike Wang and Vivek Sudarsan, both Masters of Engineering in Computer Science ’16 — was acquired by MINDBODY, a leading technology platform for the wellness industry.

bowtie team


Cornell Tech Announces Winners of 2019 Startup Awards

In May, we awarded four student startup companies co-working space and pre-seed funding worth up to $100,000 in the fifth annual Startup Awards competition.

Winners of the awards were:

  • Auggi: Building an intelligent assistant to manage chronic gut disorders.
  • Corcus: Helps the next generation of small businesses manage and deploy their business infrastructures.
  • Grow: Facilitates personal growth through the wisdom of your team with continuous feedback on Slack.
  • Otari: Building a smart exercise mat for yoga, pilates, and bodyweight exercises that gives real-time feedback on your form in the comfort of your home.

2019 Startup Award Winners and Studio advisors


Greg Morrisett Named Dean of Cornell Tech

In June, we announced Greg Morrisett as the new Jack and Rilla Neafsey Dean and Vice Provost. Prior to joining Cornell Tech, Morrisett was Dean of Computing and Information Science (CIS) at Cornell University from 2015-2019.

Greg Morrisett headshot


Making Computer Science Teachable to K-12 Students

Through our K-12 Initiative’s “Teachers in Residence” program, we provide content coaching and professional development to educators in New York City public schools. Together with our partners, we are building the capacity of non-CS teachers to integrate computing in their classrooms.


Cornell Tech Hosts Symposium to Push Mixed Reality Accessibility Forward

In August, Shiri Azenkot, assistant professor at the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute, co-organized the XR Access Symposium, an event held in order to bring the concerns of those with disabilities to light within the XR industry.

Comprised of over 120 leaders working to create accessible technology, the event included a number of talks by speakers from diverse tech and disability advocacy backgrounds, attendee working sessions, and demonstrations from leading brands covering an array of the newest XR technologies.

Woman using XR technology


Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute at Cornell Tech Launches the Urban Tech Hub

In September, the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute launched Urban Tech, a new hub including applied research, startups, and a first-of-its-kind dual master’s degree focused on making cities more livable, adaptable, and connected.

The new degree concentration provides students the opportunity to pursue emerging sectors in urban innovation including mobility and transportation, real estate/property tech and construction, logistics and delivery, energy and other utilities, intelligent buildings and infrastructure, civic and urban community technology, and other areas of technology transformation in urban settings.

Urban Tech illustration


Cornell Partners with MTA to Jump-start Transit Innovation

On September 20, the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute, along with the Empire State Development Corporation and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), sponsored the “New Day at the MTA” conference. The conference explored the myriad solutions officials say are urgently needed by NYC’s aging transit system.

 


Cornell Tech Opens Computer Security Clinic for Victims of Tech-Enabled Intimate Partner Violence

On October 22, we announced the opening of the Computer Security Clinic for Victims of Intimate Partner Violence, created to help survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) determine whether their abusers are using technology as a tool to harm them.

“Privacy is power, and I’m delighted to have joined a team of technology experts that’s dedicated to empowering abuse survivors,” said Sarah St.Vincent, Director of the Computer Security Clinic. “Everyone has the right to safety both online and offline, and we will be strengthening that right every day.”


Runway Startup: Biotia

Biotia, a Runway Startup at the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute, is leveraging genomics and AI to provide hospitals with diagnostic insights to fight infectious disease.


Biotia, founded at the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute Runway Startup Postdoc Program, announced a $2.4 million seed round led by Falcon III Ventures. 

Biotia is a health tech company that leverages next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) and artificial intelligence (AI) software to help hospitals detect and diagnose infectious diseases. 

According to a release issued by the company, “The funds will be used to further develop and implement Biotia’s diagnostic testing methods, including its AI-based software Chelsea™, offer myriad advantages over the current approaches in hospitals, such as limited PCR panels or culturing.”

Read the announcement.


Tatch, a Runway Startup at the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute, has developed a wireless patch that allows for accurate and comprehensive sleep tests to be done at home, instead of sleep diagnostic centers.