Dr. Chelsea McCullough brings decades of experience working at the intersection of government, technology, and community-led innovation. She focuses on translating between and across the public, private, social, and academic sectors to build shared language and common understanding so that diverse groups may address complex social and civic challenges.
Chelsea directs initiatives that prioritize the ethical design and application of emerging technologies (including AI) based on principles of collaboration, inclusion, equity, and transparency. She integrates this work across several domains. In her roles as the founder of Digi.City and a strategic advisor to Smart Cities Connect, she convenes government and industry leaders to build cohesive ecosystems. As a researcher, she focuses on resident-centered community engagement with city government. She has also led initiatives to co-design AI-enabled smart hand tools with skilled trade workers with the City of Austin; the Texas AFL-CIO; and Good Systems, a UT Grand Challenge.
EDUCATION/INDUSTRY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
PhD in information science from the School of Information at The University of Texas at Austin
Instructor in organizational theory, behavior, and change in the Political Science Department at Texas State University
Founder of Digi.City
Strategic advisor to Smart Cities Connect
NSF NRT Fellow in Ethical AI
Simon Industrial & Professional Fellow, University of Manchester (UK)
ZEIT-Stiftung Research Fellow, City Science Lab, Hamburg, Germany
Marshall Memorial Fellow, German Marshall Fund (MMF, GMF)
