Abby Marsh

Abby Marsh is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science at Macalester College, currently on sabbatical during the 2025-2026 academic year. Her research centers on making online privacy usable and accessible, with a focus on marginalized populations including families with teenagers and online fandom communities.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Societal Computing, Carnegie Mellon University, 2018
• B.A. in Computer Science and Mathematics (double major), Oberlin College, 2013

Professor Marsh's work in usable privacy investigates how privacy tools can accommodate under-studied groups through empirical user studies and theoretical frameworks. She pioneers research on digital privacy norms within transformative fandom communities and develops inclusive security solutions for educational settings. Her approach emphasizes learning from existing practices of online groups with complex privacy behaviors, challenging traditional assumptions in the field.

Analysis of her 2023-2024 publications reveals a concentrated shift toward boundary management in online communities, particularly fandom spaces, while expanding into assistive technology privacy in education. This builds upon her foundational work on family privacy dynamics, demonstrating consistent focus on real-world privacy challenges faced by vulnerable populations.

Scientific Awards:

• No awards listed in the provided information

Advising and Academic Service:

Marsh actively mentors undergraduate researchers including Dan Bially Levy, Kien Nguyen, and Aron Smith-Donovan. She teaches core courses such as Object-Oriented Programming (COMP 127), Computer Systems (COMP 240), and Computer Security and Privacy (COMP 487), while maintaining comprehensive student resources for MSCS majors. She also coordinates Macalester's fiber artists community group, demonstrating interdisciplinary engagement beyond traditional CS boundaries.

Research Context:

During her doctoral work at Carnegie Mellon, Marsh was affiliated with the CUPS Lab within CyLab. Her current research continues this collaborative tradition, focusing on community-driven privacy solutions while leveraging her background in both technical systems and social computing.