Research

My mother nearly passed away -- my aunt actually saw her passing while holding her hand on the hospital bed -- after being hit by a motorcycle at a poorly signed and lit crossroads.

This shocking event was a pivotal moment in my life. After visiting the location of the accident and talking with residents, I was left wondering: what if we could easily, quickly, and safely document online the risks of this particular crossroads? How many lives could have been saved? #stigmergy #crowdsourcing #swarmintelligence #socialchange 

Many years have passed since this traumatic event was buried somewhere in my emotional landscape. But after completing all my formal degrees, I realized that my consistent attraction to risk management scholarship was rooted in this unexpected moment in my life. It then became my mission to help people share their stories, insights, and pieces of evidence, so anyone could learn from these online traces and take action themselves. 

Thus, I made a commitment to finding ways to leverage digital platforms for social change. More importantly, I wanted to help every active citizen understand how their past experiences and shared dreams shape their actions and the unique ways each of us navigates our surroundings. I became obsessed with finding ways for us to collectively collaborate under minimal, or even completely absent, forms of communication and coordination. The only thread linking us all while informing our subsequent decisions and actions would be the digital traces we intentionally, or not, leave online. 

This is how the 'Stigmergy Network Theory' was born. Welcome to my world of mediated communication and coordination through digital traces. Let's build a collaborative network of like-minded people together!  

If interested in finding more about the context, implications, and updates on this research project, click here.