Open and Sustainable Innovation Systems (OASIS) Lab

I am grateful to be able to pursue my research with a group of curious, creative, and conscientious students. We call ourselves the Open and Sustainable Innovation Systems lab, and aspire to have our work (together) live out the following values:

  • CURIOSITY (vs. careerism): we are driven by a desire to understand and change the world, and aim to structure our work and planning around this goal first and foremost, before layering in pragmatic considerations of career strategy (e.g., where/when to publish).
  • CREATIVITY (vs. complacency): we select our ways of seeing and knowing in our research based on what is needed by the problem, rather than sticking only to what is familiar or mainstream. We take the time to invest in lifelong learning to be able to do this creative, cross-disciplinary work well.
  • COURAGE (vs. confidence): we recognize that doing good research often requires staring into the abyss of ignorance and wrestling with our own uncertainty and sense of self-worth, yet also putting forth work that is never perfect, in order to move the conversation and field forward. This requires courage, which we aspire to cultivate and celebrate in ourselves and others.
  • CARE (vs. cavalier carelessness): we aim to contribute knowledge that lasts, that others can build on, in accordance with the highest epistemic standards that apply for our chosen ways of knowing. This includes a commitment to, where appropriate, open science practices, but also careful documentation, and a pace of research that may be slower than average. But given our aspiration towards courage, we also strive to care for ourselves as we do our work.
  • COLLEGIALITY (vs. competitiveness): we envision good research as a collective, collaborative endeavor, where each person has something to offer, and ideas thrive when they can comingle and grow freely with others. We strive to be generous with our ideas, and to be careful to give credit where it is due.

Current members

Past members

How to get involved

If you’re a UMD student (undergrad, Masters, or PhD) interested in getting involved, the quickest way to get started is to browse the list of active projects in this document (updated semesterly) (can also browse the research section section for background).browse . Pick a topic or two that interest you and let’s chat about it! Some productive conversation topics might include ideas for how to solve some challenges/open questions, or interesting connections between the research topic(s) to some things you’ve seen or thought about.

To maximize the likelihood that I’ll respond to your initial query:

  • Follow these tips on how to write a good first email
  • Include “[OASIS lab] Getting involved?” in the subject line of your email.
  • Include a specific research idea related to my research interests: it could be an idea for how to solve some challenges/open questions, or interesting connections between the research topic(s) to some things you’ve seen or thought about

Due to the volume of email I get, you can expect a response time of ~1-2 weeks, so please feel free to followup if you have not received a response after 2 weeks!

If you’re a Master’s student, you should know upfront that the likelihood of a funded position is unfortunately very low. I still welcome volunteers or for-credit involvement, but only if it makes sense for your situation. If there are funded positions I will be sure to note that here and also advertise on the relevant distribution channels in the iSchool.