Roderic Crooks

Roderic Crooks is an Associate Professor in the Department of Informatics at the University of California, Irvine, within the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences. His work critically examines the intersection of technology, education, and race, focusing on how digital tools perpetuate systemic inequities in marginalized communities. Crooks holds a Ph.D. in Information Studies from UCLA, an M.L.I.S. from UCLA, and an M.F.A. in Fiction from the University of Iowa.

• Education: Ph.D., Information Studies (UCLA); M.L.I.S., Informatics (UCLA); M.F.A., Fiction (University of Iowa)
• Affiliations: Donald Bren School of Informatics, UC Irvine; CoLED Collaboratory (UCSD); NSF-funded research teams

His research explores data-driven edtech’s role in reproducing racial inequality, as detailed in his book Access Is Capture (UC Press, 2024). Key themes include surveillance in urban schools, the commodification of educational data, and grassroots data activism. He advocates for community-driven tech solutions that center marginalized voices.

Crooks’ grants include a National Science Foundation award (2019-2022) for studying public uses of data dashboards. His awards reflect recognition for research excellence in critical tech studies, including the UC President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship. He actively collaborates with community organizers to develop equitable tech policies and has advised on projects like the Meta-Metadata initiative analyzing provenance data.

He leads the Department of Informatics’ efforts in curriculum design, service on admissions committees, and organizing departmental seminars. His work bridges academia and activism, emphasizing participatory methods to combat algorithmic bias and data extraction in minoritized communities.