jessica vitak

I am an Associate Professor at the University of Maryland's iSchool. My research examines socio-technical systems, specifically focusing on how consumers develop mental models around privacy- and security-related decision making. My research has examined how consumers make sense of data flows from a variety of "smart" devices and tools, including fitness trackers, intelligent personal assistants, mobile apps, and more. I've also worked on developing curriculum and other educational resources for children and adults to help them develop privacy/security skills. Finally, my research examines the ethical questions raised by the current data-intensive environment that will affect consumers, researchers, and policymakers. Please see my personal website (https://jessicavitak.com) or lab website (https://pearl.umd.edu) for a more detailed overview of my work, including a list of my publications. I can be reached at jvitak[at]umd.edu.