danah boyd

Ph.D. 2008

Principal Researcher, Microsoft Research
Founder of Data & Society Research Institute
Visiting Professor, New York University

Degrees

Ph.D., information management and systems, UC Berkeley, 2008; M.S., media arts and sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2002; B.A., computer science, Brown University, 2001

My Life Since the I School

My I School dissertation project examined how American youth engage with networked publics as a part of their everyday lives. Today, I continue to research the intersection of youth practices and social media. I’m writing up an academic incarnation of my controversial essay about MySpace versus Facebook. And at the Berkman Center, where I co-direct the Youth Media Policy Initiative, I’m looking at the role that practitioners can play in addressing challenges surrounding online safety.

How the I School Prepared Me

The I School enabled me to be truly interdisciplinary and independent as a scholar, drawing on research and theories from multiple fields. The I School allows hyper-motivated students to really dive deep in whatever direction makes the most sense. I had tremendous support in following my passions.

Advice to Future I School Ph.D. Candidates

Find an advisor who will play good cop to your bad cop. And get out there and engage with the public.