Bwog Science is bringing back research spotlights! This past week, I had the privilege of talking to Bwogger Riley Stacy (BC’27), a Computer Science, Math, and Human Rights major with a passion for public interest technology.

Riley didn’t have the most conventional path to computer science. Entering Barnard, she expected to major in neuroscience, and was firmly on the pre-med track. That all changed when she randomly chose the Tech + Society version of Barnard’s required First Year Seminar. The course, and its passionate professor, opened her eyes to the intersection of technology and social justice, prompting her to switch majors and dive into a field where computing meets pressing societal issues.

Riley’s academic pivot quickly led her to hands-on research, joining her professor’s project on automated pretrial risk assessment tools. These tools are used to predict whether someone awaiting trial will reoffend or miss a court date, and are often seen as a way to make the justice system more objective. However, Riley’s team and a growing body of research has found that these algorithms can actually reinforce existing racial and socioeconomic biases, because they rely on historical data shaped by decades of unequal policing and sentencing practices. Instead of eliminating human bias, the tools risk embedding it deeper into the system, sometimes overestimating risks for marginalized groups.

Riley’s research is both fascinating and extremely important, as her team is working to make technology more equitable, human-centered, and less biased. She credits getting into research through her seminar professor, who offered Riley an independent study project at Barnard her spring semester of freshman year. The professor then moved to NYU, where Riley continues to do this work.

When asked for tips on getting into research, she laughed and said that you need to “be a little annoying” towards professors to demonstrate your passion and interest. Read their papers. Go to lectures. Think of some questions and go talk to them in office hours. Basically just keep learning and be able to demonstrate your interests! She said she feels very lucky, but that there are “so many professors more than willing to help and support undergraduates”.

Having a mentor to guide her through this has been so important, and she is grateful to have someone like her professor. Riley is also appreciative of the Barnard CS department, as it is much smaller and tight-knit than the department at Columbia. Through it, she has found support and a place to explore her curiosities. Barnard also provides help for student researchers through the Summer Research Institute (SRI), which Riley did last summer and found to be a valuable experience.

Riley acknowledged that at first, doing research like this can be frustrating, as you have to figure a lot out. It is much different than taking a class, where everything is set out for you. However, she said doing research has taught her more than all of her classes. It is so important to get hands-on experience, and she said being able to problem solve through this has been so rewarding. With her experience doing this research, she hopes to eventually go to grad school and continue working in a related field.

I then asked about the current research landscape and how she has been impacted by it. I found that across all fields, science labs have felt increasingly threatened by institutional and national pressures. Riley is grateful that her current research is at NYU, so they have not faced the same level of funding cuts. However, the small team that she works with has many international students, from undergrads to PhD candidates, who are all anxious about continuing their work, especially due to the equity-driven nature of it. Riley described the initial shock she felt when cuts were first being announced at Columbia. It is a scary landscape to continue college in when even your professors are fearful and state that they have never experienced something like this before.

Because the work they are doing is related to reducing bias in legal systems, they are trying to shift their language so they won’t be as vulnerable to being targeted, but can still continue their work. This sort of uncertainty is scary, but Riley explained how she feels much more confident now and determined to continue her work. Her mentor is resilient and gave an inspiring talk to the team to reinforce how important the work they’re doing is, especially at this time. From this, Riley described a sort of responsibility she feels to continue her research, especially since she is not as directly threatened compared to her international peers.

When asked how Columbia and Barnard could better support researchers, she explained that she would like to see more clarity and support regarding the current situation. It is scary to see Columbia cutting research teams and being unable to provide more funding. Increased institutional support would be welcome at this time, especially considering some researchers, especially undergrads, are often underpaid and overworked. She also would like to see research made more accessible to undergrads, as it can often be hard to find connections and take the first step towards involvement in research.

Riley’s experience shows that following your interests, even if it means changing your path, can lead to meaningful work. Her research addressing the bias in pretrial risk assessment tools highlights the tangible impact that students can have, especially when finding the right mentors and support. Despite the uncertainty around research right now, Columbia students like Riley are still working hard to push the scientific community forward and make contributions to our world.

Photo via Riley Stacy