Hunter students and faculty members are among those rocking Lower Manhattan’s Oculus from October 27 through November 6 as CUNY transformed a space in the futuristic landmark into a 10-day technology showcase.
The NYC Public Interest Technology Pop-Up, a 10-day immersive event space showcasing how technology can be harnessed for justice, equity, and community empowerment — and Computer Science Assistant Professor Raj Korpan and a host of students are among the presenters.
“I invite everyone to come to the pop-up! It is an exciting and innovative event where so many interesting projects are going to be shown,” Korpan said.
Korpan is presenting two projects on November 3: “Robot Storytelling for Public Trust and Data Literacy,” a study on how robotic storytelling styles can shape engaging, clear, and trustworthy civic information, and “The Intersectional Needs of LGBTQ+ Communities for Robot Companions.” Participants may engage in a survey about the projects if they wish.
Students Raitah Jinnat and Khadeja Ahmar and alum Jackie Yee are participating in the storytelling project. Hunter student Keys Rigual, Jinnat, and alum Yee are involved in the inclusive robot project, as well as CUNY Baccalaureate students Alexandria Thylane Rohn and Daniel Foulen.
The presentations are being organized by the CUNY Public Interest Tech Lab, with which Korpan has collaborated several times, including a presentation at the CUNY Teaching and Learning Conference and an interactive session at the NYC School of Data event. The presentations lead “Robot & Justice Day.” The robot storytelling project is funded by a NY PIT Regional Network Seed Grant; the other project is funded by a CUNY BRES Seed Grant.
Furkan Ay, part of a group (with students Maida Kucevic and Efe Aslanertik) called Data Sultans, is presenting “ACE and the Race to Class: Improving Bus Speeds for CUNY Students.” The study shows how New York City’s Automated Camera Enforcement program improves bus speeds and can reduce chronic lateness for CUNY students. Using MTA bus data and machine learning models, it discovered that ACE implementation raises bus speeds by 10.1% on CUNY routes — yet only 16.7% of CUNY bus routes benefit from the program.
The pop-up event — a collaboration with BetaNYC, a partner project of the Fund for the City of New York that is dedicated to promoting open data, civic engagement, and public-interest technology — is funded by a grant CUNY received from the Public Interest Technology University Network to expand the university’s efforts to promote technology for the public good and guide students to careers.
The pop-up is turning a storefront on the south concourse of the Oculus into a public space that is part gallery, part workshop, and part futuristic collaborative space. It features hands-on demonstrations, art, games, films, and creative activities that showcase the use of technology as a tool for an equitable and just future. Each day the pop-up will zoom in on a different theme, from climate change and human rights to data mapping and techno spirituality.
The space will be open to the public Monday through Friday from 2 pm to 8 pm, and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 8 pm. Admission is free. Full information and a daily schedule of events can be found here.
