ATLAS | Master's program begins

The new ATLAS Master of Science degree program in Information and Communication Technology for Development (MS-ICTD) started in the fall of 2010 with seven students.

The program, which is the first of its kind in the United States, prepares students for careers in the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to improve the quality of life of people and communities in developing nations and underserved or impoverished regions.

Students will be trained to address issues of access, social equity, sustainability, appropriate design and distribution. The two-year program includes three semesters in residence and a one-semester practicum, such as an internship or service project with a non-governmental organization engaged in ICTD efforts. Organizations participating in the practicum may be public or private sector, international development agencies, foundations and/or non-governmental organizations.

Revi Sterling, who is the first graduate of the ATLAS Ph.D. program, is the director of the master’s degree program. Complete information about the program, ranging from an overview to the curriculum to how to apply, is available through the ATLAS Web site under the “ICTD Master’s Degree” link.

Diverse backgrounds

Matt Crum is pursuing the degree with an interest in using technology to expand communication.

He currently is a Web producer for an international relief and development organization specializing in Web strategies that deal with advocacy around the international issues of HIV/AIDS, malaria, hunger and child trafficking. He earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science from West Virginia University.

Lakshmi Haridas has spent more than seven years developing software for various contexts, from firmware to Web applications, before deciding she wanted to use her technology skills to give back to society.

She believes the master’s program’s dual emphasis on technology and development is a perfect fit.

She holds a B.Tech in Computer Science & Engineering from the University of Calicut in India.

Kevin McElhinney is the technology director for the School of Education & Human Development at the University of Colorado in Denver.

Enlightened to the potential of ICTD through working with urban school teachers and technology work with a Denver nonprofit, McElhinney is interested in designing technology solutions focused on educational accessibility and knowledge equity.

Alexandra Morgan is the founder and managing director of Tapping Brilliance, a newly formed development firm that provides capacity building services to the education sector, with a focus on building a strong education sector in post-earthquake Haiti. She graduated magna cum laude from Benedict College in Columbia, S.C., where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science.

Morgan is pursuing the study of mobile technology, particularly mobile learning, and ICT/telecom policy and regulation.

Robert Tester’s interests are in user interfaces, mobile technology and community involvement. He has been working as a software engineer specializing in educational Web applications.

He earned his bachelor degree in computer science at Texas A&M University.

Nicole Stephan comes to ATLAS from the greater Detroit area where she received her bachelor’s of Fine Arts in graphic design from the College for Creative Studies.

Her interests are focused on usability, utilizing her past experience in information design to create systems tailored for the needs of developing countries. Most recently Stephan worked as a senior information designer at Wall Street on Demand, designing chart generating applications for Reuters and the Wall Street Journal.

Felicia Williams plans to study the use of interactive media as an educational tool in developing regions. Prior to her graduate studies, Williams specialized in Internet television, online media and Web communities.

She was the entertainment content manager at YouTube, where she selected the featured videos for YouTube’s entertainment, travel and video game category pages, as well as the homepages of both the United States and Canada. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from New York University.

Master’s degree program begins