Shaping the Future Together: Announcing the 2025 Convene and Influence Awardees

The 2025 awardees:

Catalyzing Conversations, Incubating Global Collaborations

PI: Juan Pablo Pardo-Guerra, Professor, Sociology; Director, International Institute 

Co-PI: Elana Zilberg, Associate Professor, Communications 

Led by the International Institute, this initiative connects faculty members working on themes such as the borderlands, South Asia, and the Arab World. The goal is to build globally focused, interdisciplinary collaborations grounded in cultural and linguistic fluency. By identifying shared research and teaching priorities, the team is laying the foundation for UC San Diego’s next generation of international scholarship.

Convene Community-Engaged Researchers to Establish Best Practices

PI: Rebecca Fielding-Miller, Associate Professor, Public Health  

Co-PI : Abigail Andrews, Professor, Urban Studies and Planning; Director, Center for Comparative Immigration Studies  

Through four faculty-community convenings, this project will establish best practices for community-engaged research at UC San Diego. The outcomes—a white paper, multilingual summary, and online resource hub—will help streamline collaboration and ensure that research partnerships are respectful, impactful, and accessible to all.

Co-Creating a Shared Vision for Cross-Border Translational Cancer Research

PI: Melody K. Schiaffino, Associate Professor in Residence, Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences  

Co-PI: Michael Hogarth, Professor, Medicine 

Despite the health interconnectedness of the U.S.-Mexico border region, barriers persist in clinical research. This project, involving UC San Diego, San Diego State University - Imperial Valley and Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC-Mexicali), aims to establish a shared framework for binational translational cancer research by harmonizing policies, co-creating health informatics capacity and setting common goals for translational science.

Good Tech for Good Jobs: Worker Voices in an AI Future

PI: Lilly Irani, Associate Professor, Communication  

Co-PI: Satomi Rash-Zeigler, Executive Director, UC San Diego Labor Center  

With AI reshaping the labor market, this convening places worker experiences at the center. Through a landmark gathering, surveys, and focus groups, the team will produce a white paper and policy roadmap to guide the newly launched UC San Diego Labor Center Good Tech for Good Jobs Initiative, focusing on ethical, inclusive AI in the workplace.

Working Group on Conversational AI for Wellness & Social Support

PI: Cinnamon Bloss, Director, Center for Empathy and Technology, Public Health

Co-PI: Melissa Karnaze, Assistant Project Scientist, Public Health  

As large language and other conversational AI models become tools for mental health and social connection, this group will explore both their promise and their risks. Public workshops featuring experts on diverse aspects of AI, along with a white paper, will offer accessible guidance on how generative AI tools can promote, rather than undermine, mental health and wellness. The interdisciplinary team of investigators includes: David Danks, Professor and Faculty Council Chair, Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute; Christopher Oveis, Associate Professor, Rady School of Management; Gentry Patrick, Director, Center for Empathy and Social Justice in Human Health, Professor of Neurobiology; Desiree Shapiro, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry; and Bradley Voytek, Professor, Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute and Chair, Department of Cognitive Science.

Convene the Climate Action Lab as a Hub for Climate Careers and Education

PI: Amy Lerner, Associate Teaching Professor, Urban Studies & Planning  

Co-PI: Mike Ferry, Director of Energy Storage and Systems, Center for Energy Research 

The Climate Action Lab will host events focused on climate justice, adaptation, and mitigation, while preparing students for careers in the climate field. This initiative centers social science perspectives and creates accessible pathways for students across disciplines to explore climate-related opportunities and impact.

Societal Impacts of Artificial Intelligence

PI: Benjamin Bergen, Professor, Cognitive Science 

Co-PIs: Margaret Roberts, Professor, Political Science; Stuart Geiger, Assistant Professor, Communication and HDSI; Haijun Xia, Assistant Professor, Cognitive Science 

This initiative will bring together UC San Diego experts and collaborators to address the social, economic, and ethical risks posed by AI. By combining technical innovation with social inquiry, the team will develop strategies and research questions that inform policy, guide public understanding, and ensure AI advances equity and human flourishing.