Nora McDonald

Nora McDonald is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Information Sciences and Technology at George Mason University. She holds a PhD in Information Science from Drexel University and a BS in English from Cornell University. Her research focuses on digital privacy, ethical technology design, and the societal impacts of emerging technologies like AI. She investigates privacy practices in dynamic surveillance environments, particularly for marginalized populations, and examines how data relations shaped by social media algorithms influence identity and societal norms.

Her work has been published in top venues including ACM CHI and CSCW, earning multiple Best Paper awards. She is actively involved in designing curricula addressing AI ethics and generative AI policy in higher education. Currently, she leads a National Science Foundation-funded study on privacy ecosystems and collaborates on projects like equitable community internet access during crises.

Research interests span artificial intelligence, machine learning, cybersecurity, and human-centered computing. Notable projects include studies on post-Roe reproductive privacy challenges, neurodivergent identity verification systems, and Gen Z's interaction with AI technologies. She teaches courses on human-computer interaction (HCI) and technology ethics, mentoring students pursuing PhDs in privacy and health informatics.

• Awards: Best Paper Awards at ACM CHI and CSCW
• Grants: NSF SaTC grant for privacy ecosystems research
• Labs/Teams: Leads George Mason's Privacy & Health Informatics Initiative