Daniela Delgado Ramos

EMAIL: dd6@illinois.edu

INFORMATICS PhD FOCUS AREA(s):
• Design, Technology and Society

PhD: 2026 DISSERTATION: Technological Mediation of Trust Through Constructive Design Research: A Community-Based Social Network Platform for Trust

Daniela is an interactive media designer and researcher investigating how digital social networks co-shape social dynamics and the mediation of trust within marginalized and low-trust environments. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach—combining data science and Social Network Analysis (SNA) with qualitative fieldwork—she explores how technology can either bridge or widen institutional fractures. Leveraging her experience in vulnerable territories, she works with the community to re-shape digital tools based on local needs, with the goal of designing resilient, inclusive socio-technical systems that respect the social complexities of the contexts they inhabit.

PhD ADVISOR:
• Juan Salamanca