Kevin Crowston

Kevin Crowston is a Distinguished Professor of Information Science in the School of Information Studies at Syracuse University. He received an AB in Applied Mathematics (Computer Science) from Harvard and a Ph.D. in Information Technologies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). 

His research examines new ways of organizing made possible by the extensive use of information and communications technology. He approaches this issue in several ways: empirical studies of coordination-intensive processes in human organizations (especially virtual or distributed organizations); theoretical characterizations of coordination problems and alternative methods for managing them; and design and empirical evaluation of systems to support people working together. Specific research topics include the development practices of Free/Libre Open Source Software teams and work practices and technology support for citizen science research projects, both with NSF support. His most recent project is a study of the evolution of newswork with new technologies.

He is currently Editor-in-Chief for the journal Information, Technology & People and the past EiC for ACM Transaction on Social Computing. Other involvement with ACM includes serving on conference committees (mostly for the CSCW conference). 

• Challenges and opportunities for open collaboration
  In this talk, I explore the possibilities and limits of open collaboration through the lens of citizen science. I begin with the premise that while open models—like Wikipedia or open...
• Finding our way with artificial intelligence
  In this talk, I address the challenges posed by AI systems—particularly those with learning capabilities and autonomous action—and how we, as researchers and practitioners, can...
• Future of Work in the Age of Intelligent Machines
  How are intelligent machines reshaping the nature of work? In this talk, I explore how advances in artificial intelligence and automation are transforming tasks, jobs, and organizations,...
• Involving the public in scientific research
  This talk explores the growing role of citizen science and public engagement in scientific research, arguing for deeper inclusion of volunteers across the research lifecycle—from data...