Fellow:Christopher Lawson

Christopher Lawson is obtaining his Master’s degree in Information Science from North Carolina Central University (NCCU), while concurrently working as a Graduate Research Assistant for NCCU in the Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence and Equity Research (LAIER). He is committed to lifelong learning, research, and discovery using education and lived experiences as a catalyst to fashion novel solutions to solve real-world issues.

Bio

Christopher Lawson received his Bachelor of Arts in Visual Media & Graphic Design from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. While attending NCA&T, he served as a Undergraduate Computer Science Research Assistant for the Center of Excellence in Cybersecurity, Research, Education and Outreach (CREO). Christopher is now enrolled into the Master of Information Science (MIS) Program at North Carolina Central University, where he is a Graduate Research Assistant in the Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence and Equity Research (LAIER) directed by Dr. Siobahn Day-Grady. Christopher has been accepted into the University Innovation Fellowship Program through Stanford University and the AI Fellowship in Interdisciplinary Data Science Program through Inspirit Innovators. In addition, Christopher has been elected to become the NCCU Chapter President for the Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) for the upcoming 2022/2023 school year.

Achievements

North Carolina Central University - Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) - Chapter President - (2022/2023)

The Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) increases the influence of information professionals among decision-makers by focusing attention on the importance of information as a vital resource in a high-technology age and promotes informed policy on national and international information issues by contributing to the formation of those policies. It supports the advancement of state-of-the-art and practice by taking a leadership position in the advocacy of research and development in basic and applied information science.

Stanford University - University Innovation Fellowship (UIF) - 10/2021 - Current

The University Innovation Fellows (UIF) candidate empowers students around the world to become agents of change in higher education. Fellows create opportunities that help their peers unlock their creative potential and develop the design-centered mindset that is required to take on complex challenges in today’s world. This program was created as part of the National Science Foundation-funded National Center for Engineering Pathways to Innovation (Epicenter) from 2011 to 2016.

Inspirit Innovators - Artificial Intelligence (AI) Innovation Fellowship Candidate – Interdisciplinary Data Science - (10/2021 - Current)

The AI Innovation Fellowship in Interdisciplinary Data Science equips students with in-demand skills like data analysis in Python, statistics in R, and machine learning with tools like Tensorflow and Keras. Levering these new tools, will build a portfolio with a capstone project, AI + X, that draws on unique interest and domain expertise. At the intersection of AI and Humanities, students can use AI to catalyst creativity and fashion solutions to real-world issues – such as detecting fake news online, delineating bias in the criminal justice system, and more.