Dear Planning Committee,

I am a scholar, researcher, and practitioner with goals that align closely with the objectives of the Global Partnership for Social Accountability. This page is intended to serve as a portal to the websites of the organizations with which I work to improve social accountability and inclusion. 

In my day job as Director of the UCLA Information Studies Research Lab, I create educational and experiential opportunities for students to support the curriculum of the Department of Information Studies. The Department’s mission includes a strong, specific ethical commitment to the advancement of social equity, social justice, and individual and community empowerment, and to the promotion of diversity, accountability, and intellectual openness.

In 2017, I founded the Information Ethics & Equity Institute (IEEI), which advances the global workforce by providing quality learning and development programs for data and information workers. We work with leaders in industry and academia to develop best practices in information ethics and equity, create timely continuing education and training programs for data and information workers, and perform program evaluations for the foundations underwriting research in this arena.

After many years as an active member of the Society of Policy Scientists (SPS), I now serve as the organization’s President. Our mission is to advance knowledge and practice in the Policy Sciences in the service of human dignity for all. The Society encourages and supports research, practice, and education in the Policy Sciences. Our Annual Institute typically includes World Bank personnel, and features insights from collaborative efforts to tackle the world’s wicked problems. 

Finally, last year I joined the Enterprise Data Management Council (EDMC) as their Senior Advisor for Data Ethics. EDMC provides a venue for data professionals to interact, communicate, and collaborate on the challenges and advances in data management as a critical organizational function. The Council provides research and educational resources on current data management practices, and a roadmap to a vision of how data must be managed in the future. Through my involvement with this organization, I have helped shape the data management practices that are evolving across industries and nations to ensure organizational accountability for ethical data management. 

Thank you for considering my proposal for the 2019 Global Partners Forum. I look forward to your feedback.

Sincerely,

Diana Ascher