Jillian Drummond

“I chose Georgetown CCT’s unique interdisciplinary program which provides the option to do a thesis under the supervision of fascinating faculty members.”

Academic Background: BA in English Literature from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and MSW – Master’s in Social Work from Columbia University

Area of focus in CCT: Mental Health Tech, Disinformation & Society, Algorithmic Bias, Design Justice

What did you do before CCT? I’m a licensed mental health therapist and maintain a caseload of wonderful clients while I pursue my studies at CCT. I am still passionate about macro-level change and utilizing over 10 years of professional experience working in the public sector with individuals, communities, and systems (and volunteering) in Chicago, Baltimore, and New York.

What activities do you participate in at CCT? At CCT, I’m currently an XR Research Assistant working with Professor Evan Barba. I also volunteered briefly with the Pivot Program, led by Professor Jeanine Turner, which provides reentry support for formerly incarcerated community members. I’m also the inaugural recipient of the Jennifer Meyers Scholarship, which is funded by an alumna from CCT’s first graduating class!

Why did you choose CCT? At Columbia, I completed a minor in Emerging Technology, Media, and Society which was specifically designed to train social workers to identify ethical issues stemming from technology deployments and analyze the potential impact of those issues through research, i.e. how technology impacts vulnerable populations that I serve, but also, how innovation can serve as a catalyst for transformative change in the way we provide services. In order to explore this more, I chose Georgetown CCT’s unique interdisciplinary program which provides the option to do a thesis under the supervision of fascinating faculty members. I knew this was where I wanted to be when I learned that CCT has a long history of studying the impact of technology on society!

What surprised you about CCT? Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the program, everyone has such unique backgrounds, and yet, we all share a common thread – understanding how technology is shaping the world around us.