Laura Pathak is a PhD candidate (combined MSW/PhD program) whose research bridges ethics, technology, and social policy. Her work focuses on data privacy, ownership, and participatory approaches to AI governance, with particular attention to their implications for marginalized populations and social work practice and policy.
Prior to graduate study, Laura served as Program Director at a Berkeley-based community nonprofit supporting immigrant families, as Product Manager at a nonprofit healthcare technology startup developing mobile health interventions for low-income patients, and as a consultant on social and public health policy projects. Through her research, Laura aims to advance the ethical and equitable integration of technology into social work and public policy systems.
Social Work and AI, AI Policy, Participatory Methods, Mixed Methods, Digital Health
