Lina Maria Giraldo

Lina Maria Giraldo is an Assistant Professor of Data Visualization in the Journalism Department at Emerson College. A Colombian-born, Boston-based designer and interactive media artist, she focuses on interactive storytelling for social change through data visualization, grassroots storytelling, and public installations. Her work explores identity, data democratization, and environmental justice within minorities of color, particularly Latine communities.

Education:

• Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.), Massachusetts College of Art & Design
• Master of Professional Studies (M.P.S.), Tisch School of the Arts, New York University

Her research centers on data visualization and interactive storytelling as catalysts for social justice. She investigates identity construction, environmental justice, and data democratization through community co-design—such as developing air quality sensors with Latine students and analyzing census data to expose racial income disparities. Projects address e-waste, bird extinction, and Haitian/Latine experiences via collective narratives that merge coding, electronics, and civic engagement.

Her 2023 publication "ITS: Identity, Technology, and Storytelling" exemplifies her interdisciplinary approach, bridging digital humanities and social justice to amplify marginalized voices through maker-centered methodologies.

Scientific Awards and Honors:

• Journalist in Residence at Emerson College
• Artist in Residency for the City of Boston (Boston AIR 2.0)
• Now + There accelerator program for Public Art
• Creative City Grant
• Hispanic Scholarship Foundation Grant
• Paul and Edith Babson Foundation grant
• Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation Grant
• Faculty Advancement Fund Grant
• Paulette Goddard and Tisch School Scholarships
• Tsongas Scholarship

Professor Giraldo mentors through community projects like "Data Para Todes," where first-generation Latine students develop technical skills while addressing environmental inequities. Her grant portfolio includes the Creative City Grant and Babson Foundation support, funding initiatives that transform census data and sensor technology into tools for racial justice advocacy.

She leads collaborative teams in projects such as "Data Para Todes," uniting students, community members, and interdisciplinary experts to build air quality sensors and data visualization prototypes that highlight environmental racism in Boston neighborhoods.