Hi all!

My name is Val Healy, and I’m a senior here at MIT. I’m majoring in Comparative Media Studies and minoring in Women’s and Gender Studies. Most of my research interests lie at the intersections of these two fields. Lately, I’ve been particularly interested in feminist technology studies’ co-constructive model of gender and technology, textile-based data visualization, feminist cyborg theory (Haraway), educational media programming, queer theory, and the study of niche online communities. In my spare time, I can be found knitting, drinking tea, volunteering at my favorite summer camp, and cuddling chickens.

I decided to take this class for several reasons. For one, civic media is what drew me to major in Comparative Media Studies, and I worked with the Center for Civic Media last summer. Second, I have lived in co-ops for around four years now, and I’m very interested in learning more about cooperative businesses. Third, I love project-based classes, and I’m excited for the opportunity to build something (open source!) that will be used for good in the “real” world.

As for my technical skills, I have some programming experience (Python, Java, HTML, CSS, Javascript), some design experience, and lots of enthusiasm for learning new things!