معرفی
Pelle G. Tracey is an Assistant Professor at the University of Washington Information School, a position he assumed in September 2025. His scholarly work critically examines automated technologies, AI, and recordkeeping systems within frontline government and rental housing contexts, with current focus on ethnographic investigations of homeless services coordinated entry systems.
Dr. Tracey completed his Ph.D. at the University of Michigan School of Information under the supervision of Dr. Patricia Garcia, successfully defending his dissertation 'The Atomization of Vulnerability: An Ethnographic Investigation of Quantification and Automation in Philadelphia’s Homeless Services Coordinated Entry System' in May 2025. His academic trajectory follows professional experience as a case manager and permanent supportive housing program manager.
His research program bridges critical data studies, archival science, and computer-supported cooperative work to interrogate how algorithmic systems function in vulnerable populations. Tracey employs multi-method approaches emphasizing ethnographic fieldwork to uncover tensions between technical design and social realities in public sector technology deployments, particularly within homeless services infrastructure.
Analysis of his publication record reveals consistent thematic focus on algorithmic governance in social services, with recent work examining prioritization systems, care labor transformations, and reparative frameworks for algorithmic harms. His scholarship demonstrates interdisciplinary rigor through collaborations spanning information science, social work, and ethics.
Notable scientific recognition includes:
- Google Award for Inclusion Research grant (2022)
- LEADING fellowship (2022)
Tracey's research is supported by competitive grants including the Google Award for Inclusion Research, which funded his dissertation ethnography. He actively collaborates with interdisciplinary teams, including affiliations with the Center for Ethics, Society, and Computing and Temple University's Scholars Studio through his LEADING fellowship. His advising role at the University of Washington is newly established following his transition from doctoral candidate to faculty.
His work engages sociotechnical infrastructure teams across government agencies and community organizations, focusing on the material realities of technology implementation in high-stakes social service environments where algorithmic systems directly impact vulnerable populations.
