The annual clinic project is run by Cornell undergraduate students under the direction of Professor Malte Ziewitz. It is organized as a 4-credit seminar with the course code STS 4040, and enrollment is by application only.
Applications will be considered on a rolling basis starting in November before the spring semester. The next cohort will go to work in Spring 2026.
If you’re interested, you should submit an application, including a résumé, a short statement of intent, and an (informal) transcript using the form below. There may be short interview. This year, we are planning to recruit a group of up to eight student researchers.
Course format
This course is project-based and very different from conventional classes. Think of this as a studio project or an independent study in a group. As a team, we will spend the semester tackling a specific project. As a consequence, our weekly work will be organized around the needs of the project rather than a pre-set syllabus.
The 2026 Project
In the 2026 spring semester, our goal is to bring to life the Humans of AI project. The idea of the project is to collect and curate stories from people who live and struggle with a range of automated scoring system, including credit scoring, predictive risk assessments, automated screening tools, and many more.
The project will require a range of skills:
- reviewing the scholarly literature and media reporting on people’s lived experiences with automated systems;
- arranging, researching, and conducting interviews with affected people;
- curating these materials into short, engaging audio essays and related formats;
- making the stories available to particular audiences on a project website.
As part of the project, you will undergo extensive training in human subjects research, interpetive research methods, media production, and the responsible presentation of data.
Time commitment
Expect a workload that is comparable to a four-credit seminar or independent study. In addition to a wekly check-in, you will be expected to do a significant amount of independent work in teams. Please note that the clinic will require more flexibility than other classes. For example, you might have to accommodate the schedule of an external partner or meet outside our scheduled time.
Eligibility
Any Cornell undergraduate student who is at least in their second year of study (i.e. sophomores, juniors, and seniors) can apply. In terms of backgrounds, we are looking for a mix of people with different (academic and non-academic) life experiences and skills. Engineering, history, computer science, STS, communication, ILR, or comparative literature – whatever your major, you will most likely have something to contribute. Make clear in your application what that ‘something’ is, and how you will bring it to bear on the project. Applicants should be excited to work with people unlike themselves, be able to listen carefully, and to write collaboratively for a broader audience.
*requires Cornell account