Kate Starbird

Kate Starbird is an Professor at the Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering (HCDE) at the University of Washington (UW) and co-founder of the UW Center for an Informed Public.

Kate’s research sits at the intersection of human-computer interaction and the field of crisis informatics — i.e. the study of the how social media and other information-communication technologies are used during crisis events. Currently, her work focuses on the production and spread of online rumors, misinformation, and disinformation during crises — including natural disasters, political disruptions, and a global pandemic. In particular, she investigates the participatory nature of online rumors and disinformation campaigns, exploring both top-down and bottom-up dynamics. Dr. Starbird received her BS in Computer Science from Stanford (1997) and her PhD in Technology, Media and Society from the University of Colorado (2012).

Kate's research touches on broader questions about the intersection of technology and society—including the vast potential for online social platforms to empower people to work together to solve problems, as well as growing concerns related to abuse and manipulation of and through these platforms and the consequent erosion of trust in information.