Dr. Christina Dunbar Hester

Biography

Christina Dunbar-Hester is a leading scholar in the area of democratic control technologies, power, participation, and political exclusion. She conducts interpretive research on the intersection of politics and technology and has authored award-winning ethnographies in activism and technical communities. Her notable works include 'Hacking Diversity: Politics of Inclusion in Open Technology Cultures' (Princeton U. Press, 2020) and 'Low Power People: Pirates, Protest, Politics of FM Radio Activism' (MIT Press, 2014). Recently, she published 'Oil Beach: Toxic Infrastructure Threatens Life in the Ports of Los Angeles,' which examines the interplay of global shipping, wildlife conservation, and petroleum infrastructure (University of Chicago Press, 2023). A faculty affiliate, she supports the PhD certificate in Science Technology Studies at USC, focusing on urban ecosystem research among scholars in Southern California. Dunbar-Hester has previously taught journalism and media studies at Rutgers University and has held affiliations in women’s and gender studies. Her research has received support from various prestigious institutions including the National Science Foundation and the Institute for Advanced Study.

Research Interests

Courses