The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced obstacles to all aspects of life. Whole Communities–Whole Health it sprinting toward the launch of its 5-year cohort study. However, our teams have met the challenges of our changing world by engaging in research that will directly effect people amid the pandemic. 

Keri Stephens, a University of Texas at Austin professor in organizational communication technology, is a Good Systems Grand Challenge researcher whose work has centered around the role of technology in organizations, particularly in the context of crisis, disaster, and health. Here, Stephens discusses the effects of using personal mobile devices for work and how to secure data while also maintaining privacy.

When we think of the robots in practical use today, the most common are stationary robots that help assemble parts in automotive factories or can assist in performing delicate medical surgeries. Building a robot that can move within the human world with all its unpredictable variables, like self-driving cars, is oftentimes more difficult.

As digital assistants like Siri and Alexa become more common in our lives, people increasingly see them as companions that accompany them throughout their day. Young children, especially, are more apt to see these devices as real people or friends.

Messages from Kenneth Fleischmann, outgoing Executive Team Chair of Good Systems and Chair-Elect Junfeng Jiao.

The Protect Texas Together app will allow people to track their COVID-19 symptoms, record test results, get connected to medical resources and — potentially, in the future — even assist in contact tracing.

Casey Boyle and Craig Campbell developed a project, Greeting Cards for the Anthropocene, to promote collaboration across disciplines, using greeting cards as a basis for discussing climate change.

Campaign apps are collecting a wealth of information not just about their users but also about everyone they come into contact with — so much so that they could, in fact, replace traditional social media as the preferred tool for collecting data about voters.

A partnership between the University of Texas at Austin and the city looks at how AI can identify residents at risk of experiencing homelessness, as well as helping those currently in need find access to services.

Texas is no stranger to drought seasons. Both the 1950s and 2010s saw long dry spells that threatened the way of life for people who call the state home. However, these intense droughts could be nothing compared to what Texas may see in the future, new research published in the journal Earth’s Future finds.