Phoebe Sengers

Phoebe Sengers is an American computer scientist and ethnographer who currently serves as a professor in the Information Science and Science and Technology Studies departments at Cornell University. Her research integrates ethnographic and historical analyses of the social impacts of technology with design methodologies to propose alternative futures. She leads the "Culturally Embedded Computing" research group, exploring how technology design affects people in different social contexts, particularly rural areas, working-class communities, and developing countries. She has received numerous honors, including being named an ACM Fellow, a member of the SIGCHI Academy, and a recipient of the NSF CAREER Award. She also previously directed Cornell's Intel Science and Technology Center for Social Computing.

• 2022-Present·Cornell University·Professor
  • Joint appointment in Information Science and Science and Technology Studies departments, focusing on interactions between technology and society.
• 2008-2022·Cornell University·Associate Professor
  • Led research on social impacts of technology, particularly in remote communities experiencing sociotechnical change.
• 2001-2008·Cornell University·Assistant Professor
  • Conducted interdisciplinary research combining artificial intelligence and cultural theory.

• 1990-1998·Carnegie Mellon University·Ph.D.
  • Major: Artificial Intelligence and Cultural Theory
• 1986-1990·Johns Hopkins University·Bachelor’s Degree (B.S.)
  • Major in Computer Science, Minor in German