Ashley Elizabeth Battiste

Born and raised in New York, Ashley is a junior at Gallatin. She has chosen to concentrate in both computer science and the ethics of technology while pursuing a minor in Web development and applications. The themes of her concentration include ethics, what it means to be conscious, and how to replicate the human mind or “soul”. With technology, to what degree should inventors and entrepreneurs be held accountable for their creations? Are some forms of technology inherently immoral?

“The Seen/Unseen in Science,” Matthew Stanley’s course, inspired Ashley’s interest in academic research, while pushing for awareness of bias and subjectivity in science. Cyd Cipolla’s course, “Tinkering in Feminist Technoscience,” fostered in Ashley a greater appreciation and understanding of the creative process within engineering and production. In the fall of 2019, Ashley will be a part of Cipolla’s independent study “Critical Making,” an investigation of critical theory, materialism, science and technology studies, and design.

In April 2019, Ashley was a recipient of the Gallatin China Summer Fellowship which allowed her to pursue her academic studies in Shanghai during the summer. In her spare time, Ashley can be found participating in residential life, volunteering at Hack-a-Thons, or mentoring as a Gallatin Orientation Leader.