Pitt Cyber announced today it received an $85,000 grant from the Hillman Foundation to support the efforts of the Pittsburgh Task Force on Public Algorithms. The Pittsburgh Task Force on Public Algorithms seeks to establish best practices and practical guidance for Allegheny County and the City of Pittsburgh to ensure algorithmic accountability and equity for all residents.
The grant will be used to host community workshops to develop a prototype website design for municipalities seeking to provide transparency to local residents about government use of algorithms, in collaboration with Rosta Farzan, associate professor, School of Computing and Information, University of Pittsburgh and task force member; The Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center at the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Social & Urban Research, including Bob Gradeck, project director; and Carl DiSalvo, associate professor, Georgia Institute of Technology. The grant will also be used to support expanded community engagement to inform the task force’s recommendations, in collaboration with LaTrenda Sherrill, task force member and principal of Common Cause Consulting. The work at Pitt Cyber is led by Beth Schwanke, executive director, and Chris Deluzio, policy director.
The work of the Pittsburgh Task Force on Public Algorithms is also generously supported by a grant from The Heinz Endowments.