ILR Community Gathers on the Topic of Technology

ILR kicked off its inaugural theme project "Technology and the Evolution of Work" in the Ives Hall second floor lobby on Thursday.

As part of the initiative, ILR funded grant applications for research and practice activities on the impact of technology on workers and the workplace.

Kevin Hallock, Kenneth F. Kahn ’69 Dean and Joseph R. Rich ’80 Professor of Economics and Human Resource Studies, began the event with a thank you to Kara Lombardi, assistant dean for student experience and wellbeing, along with her team that selected the theme projects.

Two generous alumni funded the projects this year. Steven Berkenfeld ’81, managing director at Barclays Capital, and Michael Curran ’79.

"They recognize the value of bringing our community together around a common theme and the benefit of our collective expertise," Hallock said. "This is an attempt to bring people together from different parts of the school."

Hallock explained that ILR has been advancing the world of work since 1945 seeing many changes though it is about to witness some of the greatest changes.

"I have this feeling that now is different from some of those other times," Hallock said. "Rapid rates of change are creating occupations that did not exist five years ago and some jobs today will not exist five years from now."

Hallock announced that a book would later be selected for the community to read based on the theme.

"I am reading one of the books right now called "Player Piano" written by Kurt Vonnegut who attended Cornell and it is quite remarkable," Hallock said.

Thirty one proposals were submitted from faculty, undergraduate students, graduate students and staff.

The reception recognized funded projects and grant awardees:

Lee Adler, extension faculty
"Analyzing the Clash Between Technology's Troubling Workplace Promises and Humanity's Hopes"

Ifeoma Ajunwa and Marty Wells, faculty
"Auditing Hiring Algorithms"

Regina Duffey Moravek, staff
"Preparing and Retooling as Campus Recruitment Shifts to Automation"

Samantha Falchook and Jamie Morganstern, undergraduate students
"A Panel Event: Combining Research Insights and Industry Experience"

Maria Figueroa, extension staff, and Ileen DeVault, faculty
"Policy Conference on Responses to Precarious Work: Examining Technology's Impacts on the Employment Relationship"

Eli Friedman, faculty
"Technology and Work in China"

Louis Hyman and Ifeoma Ajunwa, faculty
"Women in Tech Conference"

Nikolaus Krachler, Ph.D. student
"Understanding the Impact of Information Systems on Coordination at Work"

Adam Litwin, faculty
"The Impact of Technological Change on Work and Workers: An Industry Studies Approach"

Brian Lucas, faculty and Lillien Ellis, Ph.D. student
"Using Experience-sampling Technology to Increase Creativity in the Workplace"

Rebecca Paluch, Ph.D. student
"Keeping Old Friends: Employment Relationships with Corporate Alumni Through Social Media Platforms"

Phoebe Strom, Ph.D. student
"Debugging Workplace Social Relations: How Technology Transforms Conflict and Collaboration"

KC Wagner, extension faculty, and Sanjay Pinto, Worker Institute fellow
"Creating a New Code? Tech Platforms as a Basis for Worker Empowerment"