Information Tools

Specializations

  • Information Technology in Developing Countries
  • Qualitative Methods
  • Technology and Social Change

Research Area

Biography

Dr. Ricardo Gomez specializes in the social impacts of communication technologies, especially in community development settings. He is also interested in qualitative research methods, and in group facilitation and process design. He seeks creative ways to communicate complex ideas and research results in everyday language. He has worked with private, public and non-profit sectors around the world, with a particular focus on Latin America and the Caribbean. Before joining the University of Washington he worked with Microsoft Community Affairs, and with the International Development Research Center in Canada. He holds an MA from Université du Québec à Montréal (1992) and a Ph.D. from Cornell University (1997).

Education

  • Ph D, Communication and Media Studies, Cornell University, 1997
  • MA, Communication and Media Studies, Université du Québec a Montreal, 1992

Awards

  • Latinx Faculty Recognition, 2024 - UW Latino Center for Health, 2024
  • Fulbright Scholar Fellowship - U.S. Department of State, 2021-2022
  • Latinx Faculty Recognition, 2022 - UW Latino Center for Health, 2022
  • Latinx Faculty Recognition, 2021 - UW Latino Center for Health, 2021
  • Latinx Faculty Recognition, 2020 - UW Latino Center for Health, 2020
  • Nomination: UW Distinguished Teaching Award, 2021 - UW, 2020
  • Latinx Faculty Recognition, 2019 - UW Latino Center for Health, 2019
  • Nomination: Lee Dirks for Best Paper Award - iConference, 2019
  • Nomination: UW Distinguished Teaching Award, 2020 - UW, 2019
  • Latinx Faculty Recognition, 2018 - UW Latino Center for Health, 2018
  • Nomination: UW Distinguished Teaching Award, 2019 - UW, 2018
  • Latinx Faculty Recognition, 2017 - UW Latino Center for Health, 2017
  • Nomination: UW Distinguished Teaching Award, 2018 - UW, 2017
  • PROF Award, 2016 - iSchool, 2016
  • Finalist: Most Interesting Preliminary Results Paper - iConference 2015, 2015
  • Nomination: Distinguished Teaching Award, 2016 - UW, 2015
  • Honorable Mention: Fearless Cards Poster - iConference 2013, 2013
  • Nomination: Undergraduate Research Mentor Award - UW, 2013
  • PROF Award, 2012 - iSchool, 2012

Publications and Contributions

Presentations

  • Bridging Science and Creative Nonfiction (2025)
    Centre for the Study of Conflict, Emotion and Social Justice (CESJ) - Bournemouth University, UK
  • Jugar en Serio: Metodologias participativas para fortalecer comunicacion y liderazgo con pueblos indígenas en Vaupes, Colombia (2024)
    Latin American Studies Association LASA 2024 - Bogota, Colombia
  • Resilience: A journey into immigration enforcement and the lives of Latinx students in Eastern Washington (2023)
    UW Undocu Summit 2023 - Seattle, WA
  • Resilience: Immigration enforcement and Latinx students in Eastern Washington (2023)
    Jefferson County Immigrant Rights Advocacy JCIRA - Port Townsend
  • Fotohistorias as a method for social work with migrants (2022)
    Universidad Diego Portales, Chile - Santiago, Chile (virtual)
  • Investigación y Responsabilidad Social (2021)
    Conversatorio: Divulgacion del Conocimiento, cuestion de responsabilidad social - Mexico DF, Mexico
  • ANT and Beyond: The Utility of Actor Network Theory in Information Science (2020)
    Penn State Information School - Penn State, Pennsylvania, USA
  • Privacy and security vulnerabilities of undocumented migrants (2020)
    University of Michigan Law School - Ann Arbor, Michigan
  • "Sistema de Información Tseltal en Chiapas" Panel: Experiencias de diseño de un sistema de infrmación y evaluación Tseltal (2018)
    Universidad Iberoamericana - Mexico DF
  • DACA and Undocu Students (2017)
    iSchool Curriculum Transformation Project - Seattle, WA
  • Is there an end to this war? Reflections on the Peace Process in Colombia (2017)
    Horizon House - Seattle, WA
  • Practicing Humanities Now: Sanctuary Planet - a global sanctuary movement for the time of Trump (2017)
    Simpson Center for Humanities - Seattle, WA
  • Preserving and Promoting Cultural Identity in Chiapas, Mexico (2017)
    One Equal Heart Foundation Annual Dinner - Seattle, WA
  • Stories of Mi-Gra-Tion (2017)
    University of Puget Sound Library - Tacoma, WA
  • Fotohistorias: Participatory Photography and the Experience of Migration (2016)
    UW Libraries Research Commons - Seattle, WA
  • Stories of Migration and Actions for Justice (2016)
    UW Center for Human Rights Annual Symposium - Seattle, WA
  • Where do I come from? Reflections on the root causes of forced migration based on a participatory photography project. (2016)
    Global Migration Crisis and Human Rights - Seattle, WA
  • Fotohistorias: Participatory photography with immigrants (2014)
    Korean Student Visit - Seattle, WA
  • Public Access Computing: Challenges and Opportunities (2013)
    The Future of Public Access to the Internet, Telecommunications and Information Policy Institute at the University of Texas at Austin - Austin, TX
  • A Million Friends: Social implications of information and communication technologies for development (2012)
    Conceptualizing Development in Latin America, University of Washington, LACS - Seattle, WA
  • Access... and some more. Public Access Computing in Colombia (2012)
    III National Libraries Congress of Colombia, Ministry of Culture - Bogota, Colombia
  • Technology and Social Change:What difference do information technologies make in developing countries? (2012)
    Advanced Academic Preparation Skills (AAPS), UW International Programs - Seattle, WA
  • Acceso Pœblico a TICs en Colombia: Bibliotecas, Telecentros y Cibercaf?s (2011)
    Biblioteca Nacional - Bogota, Colombia
  • Technology and Social Change: What difference do information and communication technologies make in developing countries? (2011)
    Advanced Academic Preparation Skills (AAPS), University of Washington International Programs - Seattle, WA
  • Computers in Libraries and other Public Places: What difference do they make in developing countries? (2010)
    PLATO Lecture, Evergreen College - Olympia, WA
  • Evaluacion de Impactos: Como medir aspectos intangibles de la contribucion de las TIC al desarrollo (2010)
    Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Peru - Lima, Peru
  • Impact of Community Technology Centers: Fishbowl Discussion of Methods and Findings (2010)
    iConference 2010, University of Illinois - Urbana-Champagne, Illinois
  • Keynote: What questions do we try to answer in Community Informatics? (2010)
    CIRN Conference 2010 - Prato, Italy
  • Free Access to Computers and the Internet at Public Libraries: International Reflections on Outcomes & Methods (2009)
    Annual Meeting of the American Society for Information Science & Technology (ASIST) - Vancouver, BC, Canada
  • ICTD evaluation 20/20: Voices from around the world (2009)
    International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development - Doha, Qatar
  • Siete Propuestas para un Desarrollo Equitativo con el uso de Tecnolog­ias de Informacion y Comunicacion (2002)
    XVIII Simposio Internacional de Computacion en la Educacion SOMECE - Zacatecas, Mexico
  • Despues de la Luna de Miel: Una mirada cr­tica a la evaluacion de Telecentros (1999)
    Tecnolog­as de informaci›n en la sociedad. Uso e impacto presente y futuro - Aguascalientes, Mexico
  • Computer-Mediated communication in Non-Governmental Organizations in Latin America (1997)
    International Seminar Culture, Communication and Power - New Delhi, India
  • Electronic Agora or Disneyland Democracy? A study of CMC use among NGOs in Colombia (1997)
    Parthenay III: European Conference on Democracy and Multimedia - Parthenay, France
  • Nuevas Tecnolog­as de Comunicacion y Democracia (1993)
    Foro Television Local y Democracia - Cali, Colombia