Grounded in the Jesuit mission of Marquette University and its commitment to social justice and the common good, the Center for Data Ethics advances research, teaching, and engagement focused on the ethical challenges of data- and AI-driven societies. The Center examines issues such as algorithmic bias and discrimination, the uneven impacts of automated decision-making, privacy and surveillance in datafied environments, the societal implications of artificial intelligence, and questions of corporate responsibility, governance, and accountability.
Through interdisciplinary, applied scholarship and collaboration with impacted communities, industry, policymakers, and civil society, the Center works to ensure that data and AI systems promote human dignity, justice, and responsible innovation. The center is directed by Dr. Michael Zimmer.
The Center for Data Ethics is excited to host Dr. Alex Hanna, co-author of The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech's Hype and Create the Future We Want, for a book talk event on Monday, October 6 at Boswell Books.
The event is free and open to the public. Details and registration here.
The Northwestern Mutual Data Science Institute, in partnership with the Center for Data Ethics, hosted the 2024 AI Ethics Symposium at Marquette University on November 21, 2024, featuring Dr. Alondra Nelson, former deputy assistant to President Joe Biden and director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Dr. Casey Fiesler, associate professor of information science at the University of Colorado Boulder. An overview of the event is here.
The Center for Data Ethics recently participated in the Global University Summit for the Rome Call for AI Ethics, held on the campus of the University of Notre Dame. The summit was co-organized by the Pontifical Academy for Life, IBM, and Notre Dame and is hosted by the Notre Dame-IBM Technology Ethics Lab.
We recently were at Meta's office in Dublin, Ireland to host a discussion with internet researchers, platforms, and regulators on Data Collection for Internet Researchers under Data Protection Regimes.
The Center is a proud member of the Coalition for Independent Technology Research (CITR). Read their 2025 report on the State of Independent Tech Research here.
Dr. Zimmer was featured in a Fox 6 News investigation into how generative AI has fast‑tracked the ability to create deepfake nude images.
Dr. Zimmer joined President Lovell for a discussion on the impact of artificial intelligence on our lives. Lisetn to "Deep Dive on AI" here.
Marely Rivera helped analyze 788 data science programs and more than 9,000 course offerings to see how well they align with the ACM’s recommended competencies for data science programs. Marely presented the work at SIGCSE 2025 Technical Symposium, where she won third place in the Undergraduate Student Research competition. Read about her experience here.
Nidhi Nellore, a 3rd-year PhD student in Computer Science, recently participated in the ACM Conference On Computer-Supported Cooperative Work And Social Computing (CSCW) in Minneapolis, MN and Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR) annual conference in Philadelphia, PA. She shares her experience here.
Thomas Johnson, a recent graduate of Marquette's Criminal Justice Data Analytics Program, presented at the annual conference of the American Society of Criminology. Read his reflection on the experience here.
Dr. Michael Zimmer
Director, Center for Data Ethics
Professor, Department of Computer Science
Cudahy Hall, room 201
(414) 288-5226
michael.zimmer@marquette.edu
Report an accessibility problem
To report another problem, please contact cswebhelp@marquette.edu.
Privacy Policy Legal Disclaimer Non-Discrimination Policy Accessible Technology
© 2026 Marquette University
