From Digital Desert to Digital Oasis: Mapping Digital Capabilities in the Human Services Ecosystem in the Bronx (D3O)

"From Digital Desert to Digital Oasis: Mapping Digital Capabilities in the Human Services Ecosystem in the Bronx (D3O)” is a qualitative research initiative that uses appreciative inquiry and speculative design to explore the potential of digital tools for empowerment. In collaboration with the Bronx Community Foundation and foresight practitioner Tameka Vasquez, the study focuses on assessing digital capabilities within the Foundation's 2023 grantee cohort. Through interviews and focus groups, the research team will examine how digital tools are currently used, envision future technologies, and identify potential challenges. Data will be analyzed using grounded theory, with findings shared through a report, a digital equity workshop, and a peer-reviewed publication.

Community Partner:

Project Team:

Mr. Osar Pat-Osagie

Digital Equity Program Director | Osar Pat-Osagie is the Digital Equity Program Director & Community Engagement Manager at the Bronx Community Foundation. He is dedicated to closing the digital divide in the Bronx by developing and implementing the Foundation's digital equity strategy.

Dr. Lauri Goldkind

Professor of Social Work at the Graduate School of Social Service | Lauri Goldkind received a Ph.D. in Social Work at Yeshiva University. Dr. Goldkind has a longstanding interest and practice background in nonprofit leadership, capacity building, and organizational development. At Fordham, she teaches across the foundation and advanced years. Her practice experience has been centered in youth development, education, and juvenile justice.

Dr. Aniket Kesari

Associate Professor at Fordham Law | Aniket Kesari received a Ph.D. in Jurisprudence and Social Policy, from School of Lawat the University of California, Berkeley, and a JD at the School of Law at Yale University. His research focuses on law, technology, data science, and public policy. He uses techniques drawn from causal inference, machine learning, and natural language processing to investigate questions in law and tech, and he is also interested in integrating data science into empirical legal studies more broadly.