UAlbany Senior Selected for Research Fellowship through Microsoft, Center for Technology in Government

ALBANY, N.Y. (August 5, 2013) -- University at Albany student Katie De Palma has been selected as the University’s first Microsoft Undergraduate Research Fellow, an initiative co-sponsored through UAlbany’s Center for Technology in Government (CTG). De Palma, a senior political science major at the University’s Rockefeller College of Public Administration and Policy, will conduct research on the use of technology by government to better engage with business and citizens. She will be mentored by CTG Director and UAlbany Research Associate Professor of public administration and policy and informatics Theresa Pardo.

UAlbany senior Katie De Palma will work with CTG Director Theresa Pardo to study how technology can be used by government to better engage with the public.

"Engaging undergraduates in research provides them with a host of new skills and insights that enhance their future career opportunities and we are excited that Microsoft has stepped forward to make this fellowship possible," said Pardo. "Katie is an ideal fit for CTG’s first undergraduate fellow. She has a deep interest in helping governments use emerging technologies to serve citizens and has been working with CTG already on a number of projects in this area."

Microsoft is also sponsoring students at the University of South Australia (UniSA) and the University of Southern California (USC).

In Phase I of the fellowship, De Palma, who is originally from Goshen, N.Y., and the two other Fellows from UniSA and USC will carry out a global trend analysis on both government administration and the use of emerging technologies by governments in the short and long term. De Palma’s research will focus on trends in the use of technology to better serve citizens and businesses.

In Phase II of the Fellowship, Microsoft will use the results of the research to engage government leaders and academic, ICT industry, and policy experts in scenario planning exercises focused on building new understanding of the technology landscape over the next three, seven, and twelve years.

"The undergraduate fellowship program is an exciting opportunity for me to develop my skills as a digital government researcher under the guidance of one of the top scholars in the field," said De Palma.

The Microsoft Undergraduate Research Fellow is the first of what is expected to be a series of undergraduate fellowships underwritten by CTG’s industry partners.

For more news, subscribe to UAlbany's RSS headline feeds