Jenifer Sunrise Winter

Jenifer Sunrise Winter is a Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where she contributes to research and teaching at the intersection of information technologies and communication ethics. She is affiliated with the College of Social Sciences and actively engages in interdisciplinary work related to data governance and societal impact of emerging technologies.

Education:

• PhD in Communication and Information Sciences, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, 2003
• MLIS in Library and Information Sciences, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, 1996
• BA in Religious Studies (Asia) with a minor in Philosophy, Occidental College, 1991

Her research focuses on the ethical and policy challenges posed by big data, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT), particularly in healthcare and democratic discourse. She investigates how AI and personal health information can be governed to serve the public good, and how social media platforms can be structured to support constructive political engagement. Her work emphasizes reducing discriminatory impacts of technology and empowering citizens through communication rights.

Jenifer has received the Regents’ Medal for Excellence in Teaching (2011), recognizing her outstanding contributions to education. She is actively involved in scholarly leadership, serving as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society and Co-Chair of the Research Committee at the Pacific Telecommunications Council (PTC). Her research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, underscoring its national significance and interdisciplinary reach.

She has a unique background that blends practical experience in community radio (Radio Free Hawaiʻi) and humanitarian disaster management at the Center of Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance, both of which inform her commitment to using communication technologies for societal benefit. She welcomes collaboration on projects related to communication technology for social good.