Stephen Yang is a doctoral student at USC Annenberg, where he studies the politics of media, technology, and environments. His research excavates the sociotechnical arrangements that organize conduct and sensibilities in the milieus we inhabit. His ongoing projects focus on historical and contemporary cases where techniques of sensing and prediction are put to use.

His dissertation examines these dynamics through the day-to-day maintenance of comfort in office interiors. Through the assemblages of sensors, predictive analytics, and facility management, he traces how the governance of energy, labor, and environment are fastened together in the mundane operations to keep offices well-tempered and properly lit.

Beyond his primary research program, Yang has previously published a range of work on technology and culture—from electronic dance music to Mars colonization. His research is supported by the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF GRFP) and the Center on Science, Technology, and Public Life (STPL) at USC. He also brings research to technology design and policy through appointments at Microsoft Research, Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT), and Partnership on AI. Prior to USC, he earned his B.S. in Communication and Information Science from Cornell University.

Read more about Yang here: www.stephen-yang.com