Kate Miltner

Dr. Kate Miltner is a Lecturer in Data, AI & Society at the University of Sheffield's School of Information, Journalism and Communication, joining in 2022 after a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Edinburgh. Her PhD in Communication (2019) from USC Annenberg anchors her critical examination of power dynamics in digital ecosystems.

Her educational background includes:

• BA from Columbia University
• MSc from the London School of Economics
• MA from USC Annenberg
• PhD from USC Annenberg

Miltner's research centers on structural inequalities in digital systems, with dual foci on the politics of digital cultures (gender/race exclusion) and the business of digital skills training. Her EU-funded Who's Coding project investigates how UK coding bootcamps reproduce systemic inequalities despite promises of digital inclusion. She also pioneers research on trivial digital objects—like memes, GIFs, and emojis—as mirrors of societal power structures, notably analyzing racial representation in emoji and corporate 'platformed solidarity' during social justice movements.

Her 15 most recent publications (2020-2025) reveal three critical trajectories: (1) generative AI's societal impacts through feminist and disability lenses, (2) historical analysis of digital education models from 1950s EDP schools to modern bootcamps, and (3) platform politics in influencer hate communities and corporate activism. Methodologically, she champions qualitative approaches including digital ethnography and platform biographies.

Her scholarly recognition includes:

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship
• Best Paper Award (International Communication Association)
• Best Paper Award (National Communication Association)

Miltner actively supervises PhD candidates on critical sociotechnical topics while leading the EU-funded Who's Coding project. Her industry background at Microsoft, Twitter, and Saatchi & Saatchi informs her research-practice nexus. She serves as Deputy Ethics Coordinator at Sheffield and contributes to UKRI's Early Career Researchers Forum.

Her collaborative work with Dr. Tim Highfield on 'platformed solidarity' examines how brands co-opt social justice movements through Twitter hashflags, reflecting her broader investigation of digital spaces as contested terrains of power.