Congratulating Alice Marwick

We reflect on Alice's invaluable contributions to CITAP, her lasting impact on the academic community, and her exciting journey ahead at Data & Society in shaping the future of digital research.

From CITAP to Data & Society 

CITAP is thrilled that Alice will continue her service for a more equitable digital future as Director of Research at Data & Society, starting in September. We are deeply grateful for Alice’s years of dedicated research and service and are delighted to see her thrive in this exciting new role. 

Alice Marwick joined the UNC Department of Communication as an Assistant Professor in 2017 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2020. She is a founding Principal Investigator at CITAP, playing a pivotal role in shaping our mission and research since our inception in 2019. Her invaluable contributions include co-editing the Bulletin of Technology and Public Life and making groundbreaking contributions to the literature on technology, people, and power with works like “Critical Disinformation Studies: A Syllabus” (2021) and “Child Online Safety Legislation (COSL) – A Primer” (2024). Alice also led numerous working group sessions, professional development workshops, and meetings, showcasing her leadership and dedication. Her contributions to CITAP are truly immeasurable, reflecting her deep commitment and lasting impact on the organization.

As Alice embarks on this exciting new chapter, we had the opportunity to chat with her about her journey, her vision for the future of digital research, and what she hopes to achieve in her new role. This conversation provided deeper insights into her experiences at CITAP and her aspirations for Data & Society. 

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Reflections and Impact: Alice's Legacy at CITAP 

As a founding investigator at CITAP, Alice Marwick reflected on how her journey intertwined with the growth of the center. “CITAP and I grew together,” she shared. Starting as an assistant professor alongside Daniel Kreiss, Deen Freelon, and Zeynep Tufekci, Alice was “incredibly proud of how the organization grew and thrived, bringing together a truly world-class team of researchers investigating technology and democracy.” One of the most impactful aspects of CITAP, she noted, was how it “pushed the field to incorporate critical perspectives and foreground power inequality, while still doing rigorous empirical work.” Alice’s thinking on disinformation and right-wing studies, in particular, had been deeply shaped by the collaborative environment at CITAP. “CITAP inspired me to think big, seek public impact, and never be afraid of shaking things up.” 

Among her proudest accomplishments was the “Critical Disinformation Studies” project, which “came directly from a CITAP event on the anniversary of January 6th.” Initially an effort to explore the role of race in disinformation—often overlooked in mainstream research—the project expanded into what Alice described as an “agenda-setting syllabus and essay.” Co-authored with former CITAP postdoc Rachel Kuo, former graduate research assistant Shanice Jones Cameron, and former D&S postdoc Moira Weigel, the syllabus encouraged disinformation researchers to “incorporate history, politics, and power into their analyses.” Reflecting on its success, Alice noted, “It was successful beyond my wildest dreams, and I was delighted to see it take on a life of its own.” Another project dear to her was the Far-Right and Conservative Studies Working Group, which she co-convened for several years. “It served as both an intellectual home and a support group for a far-flung group of CITAP affiliates investigating the rise of the far-right.” 

Alice was equally proud of her role as a mentor and collaborator at CITAP. She recounted one of her favorite experiences: a graduate seminar she taught on Critical Disinformation Studies. “Inspired by my colleague Daniel Kreiss, I decided that the class would write a paper together that I would try to get published.” The class chose to explore the moral panic surrounding Drag Queen Story Hour, drawing parallels with historical moral panics like Anita Bryant’s 1977 Save Our Children campaign. The result was a paper, co-authored with eight graduate students from across UNC, that was recently accepted by Women’s Studies in Communication. “This project showed students what it’s like to take a paper from idea to publication, and they were true collaborators at every step along the way.” 

Alice’s time at CITAP was filled with cherished memories, many of which centered around her colleagues. “My colleagues at CITAP were not just coworkers; they were close friends,” she said warmly. She fondly recalled the laughter-filled dinners they shared—whether with visiting speakers like Mary Ann Franks and Hakeem Jefferson, or while attending conferences in places like Miami and Paris. Celebrations, such as the January 6th & the Media book launch, also stood out. 

However, starting a research center was not without its difficulties. “It turns out starting a research center is very difficult!” Alice admitted. She compared large research universities to battleships: “They aren’t at all agile and they turn very slowly, but they’re very, very stable.” Navigating the political climate surrounding controversial research was also challenging, particularly as disinformation research became a target in the culture wars. But these obstacles only strengthened her resolve. “This built resilience. We still did the research, we stood up for our work, and we tried to do scholarship that makes the world a better place.” 

Looking Forward 

Alice was excited about the possibilities that come with her new role as Director of Research at Data & Society. “I’m thrilled to be leading a fantastic research team and collectively setting an agenda for impactful sociotechnical research,” she shared. She was particularly eager to explore new directions, including examining “how technology impacts labor, climate, and trust around the globe.” Data & Society’s long-standing work on artificial intelligence also appealed to Alice, who looked forward to “delving more into AI’s impact on democracy and governance.” Additionally, she felt inspired by recent discussions around the climate impacts of technology. “I saw Rebecca Solnit speak at the beginning of the summer, and she really inspired me to think about not just the climate impacts of tech like AI and crypto, but how climate technologies like alternative energy sources are being domesticated and integrated into daily life.” 

For future CITAP investigators or researchers entering the field of digital studies, Alice offered valuable advice. “There’s always room for fresh perspectives, even in a crowded field,” she encouraged. Recalling her own experience, she added, “I wrote my dissertation on Silicon Valley at a time when nobody was interested or paying attention, and I ended up chronicling the very beginning of the modern social media industry.” Collaboration, she noted, was another key piece of advice: “Writing with mentors or colleagues can be a wonderful way not just to learn, but to get introduced to new methods, literatures, or research questions.”

Daniel Kreiss celebrated Alice’s new role, saying, “We are looking forward to beginning a new chapter of working with Alice in her new role at Data & Society, where she will continue to pursue her groundbreaking research on media and public life.” He emphasized that Alice’s work with CITAP will continue, albeit in a different capacity, allowing for greater collaboration across institutions. 

Francesca Tripodi shared a similar sentiment, noting, “Alice had an extraordinary impact on my career. I’ve respected her work for some time, and it was an honor to build CITAP together. She will be missed at Carolina, but I’m confident she will continue to add to the CITAP legacy through D&S collaboration.”