Pietro Santachiara is a PhD Candidate in Information Studies at UCLA whose research focuses on the politics of knowledge modelling, representation, and organization. His dissertation leverages non-dominant epistemologies to rethink ontological representations in Linked Open Data, and thus asks how we might construct fairer models to represent cultural data. Bridging Critical Data Studies and Critical Digital Humanities, this work combines case studies with system design to prototype more equitable, pluriversal systems of knowledge representation for LAM data used in AI applications.
Pietro holds a Master of Science in Technology-Enhanced Communication for Cultural Heritage from University of Lugano (Switzerland); and both a Master of Library & Information Science, and a Graduate Certificate in Digital Humanities, from UCLA. He has received several awards, fellowships, and grants from AAM, ADHO, Getty Foundation, Harvard University, IMLS, and UCLA.