Hayley Harlin Steele

Hayley Harlin Steele (they/she/ze/he) is an Instructor in the Department of Science and Technology Studies (STS) at the University of California, Davis. They serve as Project Director at ModLab, an experimental media laboratory, and as Assistant at the Feminist Research Institute. Steele’s interdisciplinary work bridges technoscience, climate justice, and game design.

• PhD Candidate in Cultural Studies (UC Davis)
• MFA in Creative Writing (Portland State University, 2014)
• BA in English & Interdisciplinary Studies (Western Washington University)

Steele explores climate data relations, gamemaking in education, and gender playability, merging critical code studies with analog game design. Their research integrates environmental data into interactive media, exemplified by projects like Destination Wedding 2070 and Sivad, which critique climate systems through speculative play.

Their forthcoming and recent publications emphasize decolonizing climate science, larp as pedagogical medium, and data dramatization. Steele’s work with BasedMIP and SERVIR programs highlights user-driven climate modeling and participatory data justice.

• Audience Choice Award, Connections 2024
• HASTAC Scholars Fellow (2018-20, 2021-23)
• Mellon Public Scholar (2020)
• Provost’s Fellowship, UC Davis (2018-19)

Steele advises on climate communication projects and teaches courses on law-data relations, games as literature, and multi-genre writing. They contribute to community-building through roles in the California Economists Collective, Villagecraft, and the Feminist Research Institute.