Bemidji State University’s Dr. Marty Wolf, professor of mathematics and computer science, will launch the Spring 2022 Honors Council Lecture Series with his research on digital remains at 6 p.m. on Feb. 15.
Typically understood as existing online content of deceased users, some scholars see digital remains as an extension of one’s person – or digital bones. Others see them more as things once possessed by someone, akin to a teddy bear.
In his lecture, “Ethical Reflections on Handling Digital Remains: Computing Professionals Picking Up Bones,” Wolf will describe a different approach to digital remains that he developed with Fran Grodzinsky, professor of computer science and information technology at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut, and Keith Miller, professor of computer science at the University of Illinois Springfield.
Their approach suggests that while ideas of personhood and respect are both important when considering digital remains, due to environmental concerns, as well as practical and privacy considerations, digital remains should be deleted by online services.
About Dr. Wolf
Wolf has over thirty years of experience teaching undergraduate computer science. His research spans theoretical computer science, bioinformatics and graph theory.
Over the last twenty years, Wolf has engaged in collaborative interdisciplinary scholarship in computing and information ethics and the philosophy of computation. He is active in the Mozilla Foundation Responsible Computer Science Challenge and is currently co-chair of the Association for Computing Machinery Committee on Professional Ethics.
In addition, Wolf was part of the team that led the recent update to the ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct.
About the Honors Council Lecture Series
The Honors Council Lecture Series is hosted by the Bemidji State University Honors Council, the advisory group to BSU’s honors program. It is composed of 12 faculty members representing each of the university’s colleges. Student representatives are also elected to the council by their cohorts for one-year terms. The series provides BSU faculty with a forum to share their expertise and the results of their research with the Bemidji community. All Honors Council lectures are open free to the public.
Calendar Information
Feb. 15 – Hagg-Sauer Hall 150, 6 p.m., available on Zoom
Pre-registration required.
Contact
- Dr. Season Ellison, associate professor of humanities and director, honors and liberal education programs; (218) 755-3355, season.ellison@bemidjistate.edu
Links
2022-B-067