Daphne Wang, an aspiring mechanical engineer from MIT, was prepared to immerse herself into codes and algorithms during her summer internship at the Muscogee Creek Nation Department of Health in Tulsa, Oklahoma. However, she got more than she bargained for. She found herself neck-deep, not in coding, but in tribal history and its profound implications for technological advancement.
In her own words, Wang acclaims, “I learned so much that I think should be required curriculum for every single person in this country.” This reflection stemmed from her involvement in community engagement and understanding diverse perspectives to promote “tech for good”. She insisted that these elements could enrich all facets of life.
Wang, along with Lucy Sun, another intern who majors in artificial intelligence and decision-making, contributed significantly to the Muscogee Nation’s first Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS). This initiative’s main objective was to gather maternal health data specifically related to Muscogee women. The project undertook literature reviews, data analysis, and survey drafting, maintaining a high degree of respect for data sovereignty and governance.
The internship represented a drastic departure from the customary MIT environment – a venue where technicality reigns supreme. It offered them scarce opportunities to interact with communities, understand their cultural fabric and acknowledge the historical dimensions of their work. The internship was a program run by Code.Tulsa stemming from the PKG Center for Social Impact’s initiative, supported by the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation and the George Kaiser Family Foundation.
In these summer programs, students like Wang lived at the University of Tulsa, working tirelessly with the Muscogee and Cherokee nations and local non-profits. Their main assignments involved successful execution of AI, data science, and other technical projects. Throughout their journey, Vippy Yee, the Assistant Dean of the PKG Center, supplemented their professional experiences with education about the historical and cultural significance of technologically-based development in Tulsa. The aim was to blend their engineering problem-solving skills with a humanist perspective on social challenges, a vision Alison Badgett, the PKG Center’s director, explained quite clearly.
In an attempt to inspire future leaders in STEM, Code.Tulsa also birthed a week-long STEM camp for Native students at the University of Tulsa. The initiative was fronted by Jack Carson, an MIT sophomore from Tulsa and a member of the Cherokee Nation. From over 160 applications, it participated 25 promising high school students hailing from 10 distinct tribes.
These students attended the Tulsa Advanced Sciences Camp (TASC), which offered them intensive workshops in subjects such as AI engineering, DNA technology, physics, and chemistry. Philosophy and critical thinking workshops were also included to inspire ambitious thinking. The experience impacted the interns greatly, like Elvis Chipiro, a junior in computer science, noted how the program provided an opportunity to understand the social impact of everyday engineering decisions.
For many interns, like Chenise Harper, the program was also a journey of self-discovery, re-connecting them with their public purpose, and reminding them why they made the decision to pursue their education at MIT.
Learn more about AI automation for your company at implementi.ai.
Read the full story at MIT News.
This website uses cookies.