Michaelanne Thomas

Dr. Michaelanne Thomas is an Assistant Professor in the School of Information at the University of Michigan, directing the Anthropology & Technology Lab (ATL). She holds a PhD in Human-Centered Computing from Georgia Tech and an MA in Cultural Anthropology from Georgia State University. Her research focuses on how marginalized communities collaboratively design and engage with information communication technologies in politically constrained contexts, particularly in Havana, Cuba. She studies internet ecosystems, citizen-led information systems, and social media for social change, with work published in venues like CHI, CSCW, and WWW.

Education:

• PhD in Human-Centered Computing, Georgia Tech (2019)
• MA in Cultural Anthropology, Georgia State University

Research Interests: Sociotechnical anthropology, internet access in resource-constrained regions, citizen-led information systems, trans-centered moderation, and feminist STS. She employs ethnographic methods to explore relational infrastructures and digital innovation in contexts of precarity, emphasizing collaborative problem-solving among marginalized groups.

Recent Trends in Articles: Focuses on AI labor practices, trans technology governance, and historical methods in HCI. Her work bridges anthropology, CSCW, and ICTD to address systemic inequities in technology access and design.

• Awards: SUCCEED Faculty Grant (2024), Elizabeth C. Crosby Research Award (2022), ARCS Global Impact Award (2016-2018)

Advancing work includes grants exploring family roles in Havana’s digital spaces and studies on climate migration’s HCI implications. Leads the ATL lab, fostering interdisciplinary research on relational digital infrastructures and community-driven tech solutions.