Sera Linardi, PhD &
Soobin Kim, PhD
Human services and vulnerable populations are increasingly impacted by technology systems. But who is shaping how this technology works?
In this episode of inSocialWork, experts Sera Linardi and Soobin Kim discuss public interest technology, which focuses on designing, developing and applying technology in ways that advance the public good, not simply capitalistic goals. They discuss why social workers must be involved in the design and governance of technology. They explore how algorithms and data systems already influence access to benefits and services, and surveillance, and what’s at stake when equity and lived experience are left out of these decisions.
This conversation is an essential resource for social work educators, practitioners and policymakers navigating the growing impact of technology on practice and justice.
Sera Linardi, PhD, is an associate professor of economics at the University of Pittsburgh and founding director of the Center for Analytical Approaches for Social Innovation. Her work focuses on prosocial behavior, social services and community-engaged approaches to technology and policy.
Soobin Kim, PhD, is a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Georgia School of Social Work. Her research examines socioeconomic determinants of well-being, health disparities, social policy and the role of technology in social work.
Show Notes
Cite this podcast – Sobota, P. (Host). (2026, January 20). Public Interest Technology & Social Work (No. 344) [Audio podcast episode]. In inSocialWork. University at Buffalo School of Social Work.
Center for Analytical Approaches to Social Innovation
The Public Interest Technology University Network
Kim, Soobin and Linardi, Sera and Petracchi, Helen, Teaching Note-Preparing Social Work Students to Work with Public Interest Technology (February 17, 2025).
