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Dr. Jessica Vitak, Privacy Zealot
@jvitak
Prof @INFOCollegeUMD / Director @hcil_umd. Research: privacy, surveillance, ethics. CSCW GenChair'25. Fantasy nerd. Spoonie. Crafter. Cookie baker. Fuck cancer.
Maryland
jessicavitak.com
Joined December 2009
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  • user avatar
    Dr. Jessica Vitak, Privacy Zealot
    @jvitak
    Jul 31, 2024
    Folks who have completed or are currently doing their PhD: If you were to have received a small welcome packet at your desk on Day 1 of your PhD, what would you want it to include? Some ideas: Post-its, a fun pen, highlighters, stapler, candy. What else?
    460K
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    Dr. Jessica Vitak, Privacy Zealot
    @jvitak
    Apr 3, 2019
    It’s been quite a week already, but last night I finally got the email I’ve been waiting for: Tenure!
  • user avatar
    Dr. Jessica Vitak, Privacy Zealot
    @jvitak
    May 15, 2019
    Simply telling college students that there is gender bias in student evals is enough to reduce that bias, according to a new PLoS One study. Language used in the experimental condition is in the screenshot. Full article (open access): journals.plos.org/plosone/articl…
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    Dr. Jessica Vitak, Privacy Zealot
    @jvitak
    Oct 31, 2019
    Are you an undergrad/master's student interested in studying the privacy, security & ethical challenges raised by new technologies? I'm looking for 1-2 new PhD students to start working with me next fall on projects on smart homes, smart cities, and developing privacy curriculum.
  • user avatar
    Dr. Jessica Vitak, Privacy Zealot
    @jvitak
    Apr 10, 2018
    It's weird to be listening to the Zuckerberg testimony and feel like, in some twisted way, this is the culmination of the last 11 years of my academic research on Facebook, disclosure, data sharing practices, and privacy.
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    Dr. Jessica Vitak, Privacy Zealot
    @jvitak
    Apr 19, 2024
    Qualitative researchers: what are common critiques/questions you get in reviews? I created a doc last yr outlining major critiques+responses, but I'm always looking to expand: docs.google.com/document/d/1jH… It already discusses: *quantifying data *IRR *method justification *sample size
    docs.google.com
    Reviewer Critiques (Qualitative Methods) and How to Respond to Them
    Reviewer Critiques (Qualitative Methods) and How to Respond to Them Author: Jessica Vitak (+ anyone who adds to the document) About This Document (and a disclaimer) Reviewing is a highly subjective...
    19K
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    Dr. Jessica Vitak, Privacy Zealot
    @jvitak
    Dec 11, 2020
    My out-of-office reply is turned on for the next four days because this weekend is COOKIE WEEKEND! This is one of the most important weekends of the year for the Vitaks, as we make 4000 cookies over three days with one oven.
    GIF
  • user avatar
    Dr. Jessica Vitak, Privacy Zealot
    @jvitak
    Aug 31, 2020
    Today officially marks the end of my sabbatical. I went into my sabbatical last August with a set of goals, and I did not achieve most of them. But that's okay. Rather than being relaxing, my sabbatical was extremely challenging. Here's a short thread on being okay with failure.
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    Dr. Jessica Vitak, Privacy Zealot
    @jvitak
    Mar 14, 2023
    Replying to @annehelen
    I feel like this article is the output to a ChatGPT prompt along the lines of: write a negative review of a college study abroad semester in Florence, Italy in the voice of an entitled and self-aggrandizing American woman.
    13K
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    Dr. Jessica Vitak, Privacy Zealot
    @jvitak
    Dec 4, 2020
    I have an all-day event in my calendar today called “Fuck Cancer Day.” A year ago today on December 4, 2019, I was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma, or IDC, the most common form of breast cancer. I want to share some thoughts on the last year. [thread]
  • user avatar
    Dr. Jessica Vitak, Privacy Zealot
    @jvitak
    Oct 9, 2019
    Replying to @JoelChan86 and @aschrock
    I am continually amazed by how little undergrads about to go on the job market know about Excel.
  • user avatar
    Dr. Jessica Vitak, Privacy Zealot
    @jvitak
    Aug 24, 2022
    My best piece of advice for new faculty (esp tenure-track) is to regularly update your CV & track EVERYTHING. I try to update mine right when there's something new, but at least every 1-2 months. Your future self will thank you when it's time for promotion. #AcademicChatter
  • user avatar
    Dr. Jessica Vitak, Privacy Zealot
    @jvitak
    Dec 27, 2017
    Started working through this (incomplete) stack of books to prep for my new course in the spring, Technology, Culture & Society. Just finished Recoding Gender, only 12 to go!