{"685155":{"#nid":"685155","#data":{"type":"event","title":"PhD Proposal by Mizan Rahman","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETitle: A Socio-Technical Approach Drives Sustainability in Makerspaces\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMizan Rahman\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPh.D. Student in Human-Centered Computing (HCC)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Interactive Computing\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDate:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EMonday, Oct 13th, 2025\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETime:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;10am - 12pm ET\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELocation:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003ETSRB room 223, or \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/us02web.zoom.us\/j\/83194305357?pwd=QfladllnSS91qxAKTRGXrg9lvqd3HY.1\u0022 title=\u0022https:\/\/us02web.zoom.us\/j\/83194305357?pwd=QfladllnSS91qxAKTRGXrg9lvqd3HY.1\u0022\u003EZoom\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommittee:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDr. Rosa Arriaga (advisor)\u0026nbsp;\u2013 School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDr. Keith Edwards\u0026nbsp;\u2013 School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDr. Richard Henneman\u0026nbsp;\u2013 School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDr. Judith Uchidiuno\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u2013 School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDr. Udaya Lakshmi\u0026nbsp;\u2013 Microsoft Research\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbstract\u003C\/strong\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMakerspaces are community-operated innovation centers that support creativity, learning, and entrepreneurship. Despite their growing role in local innovation ecosystems, many struggle to survive, with closures disrupting communities and halting programs. This dissertation investigates how makerspaces achieve long-term sustainability through a socio-technical approach that emphasizes the dynamic interplay of people, culture, and digital systems. Drawing on three and a half years of ethnographic fieldwork, interviews, and participant observation across multiple U.S. makerspaces, I present three studies. The first defines sustainability in this context and develops a multidimensional framework that conceptualizes it as a system dynamic, interweaving people, tools, community, culture, management, finance, and processes. The second examines how inclusive practices\u2014such as diverse leadership, equitable policies, and safe spaces\u2014foster participation and retention, thereby reinforcing sustainability. The third study applies Swidler\u2019s cultural theory to show how social technologies, such as Slack, scaffold and sustain community culture, which the first study identified as the most critical factor for sustainability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETogether, these studies demonstrate that makerspace sustainability is not determined solely by access to resources or equipment, but by a socio-technical process\u2014a dynamic interplay of people, culture, governance, and digital infrastructures. This work contributes to HCI by advancing theory and offering practical strategies for sustaining community-driven innovation centers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Socio-Technical Approach Drives Sustainability in Makerspaces\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A Socio-Technical Approach Drives Sustainability in Makerspaces"}],"uid":"27707","created_gmt":"2025-09-22 19:43:01","changed_gmt":"2025-09-22 19:43:45","author":"Tatianna Richardson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2025-10-13T10:00:00-04:00","event_time_end":"2025-10-13T12:00:00-04:00","event_time_end_last":"2025-10-13T12:00:00-04:00","gmt_time_start":"2025-10-13 14:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2025-10-13 16:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2025-10-13 16:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"TSRB room 223, or Zoom","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"102851","name":"Phd proposal"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}