Author: Colleen McCoy

Posts by Colleen McCoy

WITH Foundation increases support to expand disability healthcare information on Wikipedia

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Underscored by published research and lived experiences alike, there’s no doubt that society relies on Wikipedia, as well as other platforms that draw from Wikipedia’s content. But what happens when policymakers, journalists, healthcare practitioners, educators, caretakers, and others turn to the online encyclopedia seeking information that simply isn’t there?  Thanks to a new $410,000 strategic … Continued

Women’s History Month webinar explores Wikipedia’s gender imbalance

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As the go-to encyclopedia, Wikipedia’s content should reflect the diversity of the real world, but in areas like gender representation, it still falls short.  The gender gap on Wikipedia extends across subjects and biographies to its contributors themselves – a gap that individuals, organized groups of editors, and organizations like Wiki Education are tackling head … Continued

Welcome, Jordan and Kelly!

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As Wiki Education continues to expand in both capacity and impact, we’re excited to introduce two new staff members, Jordan Daly and Kelly Doyle Kim! As Chief Administration and Financial Officer, Jordan works directly with Senior Leadership to build budgets, create financial forecasts, and make strategic recommendations, ensuring financial sustainability for our organization. Having owned … Continued

A heightened level of accountability and thoroughness: Student expands type 1 diabetes article

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Florida State University graduate student Gallage Ariyaratne is no stranger to academic challenges. His extensive CV includes research assistantships, fellowships, and experience working directly with faculty in scientific labs. But when he enrolled in FSU’s Advanced Molecular Biology course last term, he was met with a new task – to develop a deeper understanding of … Continued

Broadcom Foundation continues support to bring diverse figures in STEM to Wikipedia

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“It was fulfilling to be part of the movement to bring these excellent minds to light so that more people know that STEM is for everyone.” “Contributing a biography of a diverse person in STEM to Wikipedia is a significant step towards addressing the underrepresentation of women and people of color on the platform. As … Continued

From backyards to Wikipedia: Science students transform plant species articles

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Biochemistry major Jenny Fulton didn’t have to look far for inspiration for her Wikipedia assignment in Whitworth University’s Organismal Diversity course – she only had to step out her back door at home to remember how connected her coursework was to the real world. “Each of the articles that my classmates and I worked on … Continued

“This community is so alive because they are real people”

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“Since Wikipedia is a public-facing platform, I was really meticulous about what I actually wanted to put in the article. I really went over my writings, over and over, and made sure that they were accurate and a good representation of what I wanted to add.” – Ekaterina Schiavone Hennighausen, first-year student at The George … Continued

New members of Humanities & Social Justice Advisory Committee announced

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As we continue into the second year of our Knowledge Equity initiative, Wiki Education is pleased to announce the seven new members of the Humanities & Social Justice Advisory Committee. Composed of higher education faculty from across the country, the multidisciplinary group will advise and collaborate on our ongoing work to improve Wikipedia’s coverage of … Continued

The Experts Behind the Edits: Expanding public understanding of healthcare

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To kick off our first Speaker Series event of the new year, Wiki Education brought together a panel of healthcare experts to take us behind the scenes of their own work on Wikipedia and the contributions of their students!  Joined virtually by attendees from across the globe, our panelists explored how the public and healthcare … Continued