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Hummd Alikhan is a Ph.D student at the iSchool.

When you meet someone who doesn’t know about your research, how do you describe it?

When introducing my research to someone unfamiliar with it, I explain that I examine the intersections of smart city infrastructure, cyborg theory, and digital governance, with a particular focus on how emerging urban technologies shape power, agency, and equity. My work investigates how systems such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and algorithmic platforms not only transform public infrastructure but also participate in the co-construction of self and society. Drawing on critical theory and urban informatics, I analyze how these technologies can both reinforce structural inequities and open up new possibilities for empowerment—particularly for historically marginalized communities. Through this lens, I aim to propose more inclusive and equitable models for the design and governance of urban technological systems.

Who is the faculty member working closest with you? What are you learning from them?

The faculty member I work most closely with is my advisor Lindah Kotut, whose research critically interrogates the relationships between technology, infrastructure, and structural inequality. Under her mentorship, I’ve been learning how to approach urban technologies—such as algorithmic systems and sensor networks—not simply as technical artifacts, but as sites where power, governance, and identity are negotiated. She’s helped me refine my ability to draw from multiple theoretical traditions, including critical infrastructure studies, STS, and feminist theory, to build a research framework that is both analytically rigorous and politically attentive. Her guidance has been central to shaping how I think about digital systems not only in terms of what they do, but what they mean—particularly for communities historically excluded from decision-making around urban development and technological design.
 

Why are you interested in this subject?

I'm drawn to this subject because I'm fascinated by the hidden politics of everyday technologies—especially in cities, where things like sensors, algorithms, and digital platforms are quietly reshaping how we move, interact, and even imagine ourselves. To me, a smart streetlight or a predictive policing algorithm isn’t just a tool—it’s a reflection of who has power, whose needs are prioritized, and whose voices are left out. I’m especially inspired by cyborg theory because it invites us to think beyond binary divisions—human vs. machine, public vs. private—and imagine new ways of being and belonging in increasingly technologized spaces.
 

What impact do you hope to make in the information field through your research/dissertation?

I hope to shift how the information field understands and engages with urban technologies—not just as tools for efficiency or data collection, but as active participants in shaping civic life, identity, and power. My research brings together critical theory, digital infrastructure studies, and urban informatics to examine how smart city systems and algorithmic platforms reconfigure who gets to participate in public life, and under what terms. By centering equity, agency, and historical context, I aim to move beyond technical assessments of these systems and instead foreground their social and political consequences. Ultimately, I want to contribute frameworks that help scholars, designers, and policymakers think more critically and creatively about how information systems can be reimagined to support more inclusive, just, and accountable urban futures.
 

What surprised you the most when digging into your research?

What surprised me most was how often urban technologies are designed with vague or shifting definitions of “the public.” I expected to find clear goals around access or inclusion, but instead found that many systems operate without a stable sense of who they’re actually for—revealing a deeper ambiguity at the heart of so-called public infrastructure.

What are your career goals once you graduate?

After graduation, I hope to pursue a hybrid path that bridges industry and academia. I'm interested in research roles at major tech companies, particularly those that engage critically with questions of infrastructure, equity, and digital governance. At the same time, I want to remain connected to teaching and public scholarship—ideally as a faculty member—where I can continue mentoring students and contributing to conversations about the social and political dimensions of technology. For me, the most meaningful work happens at the intersection of theory and practice, and I’m committed to building a career that allows me to move between both worlds.