- Governing Deep Differences
The Research
Deep differences—religious, ethnic, moral, ideological—are unavoidable features of modern life. The program seeks to understand how plural societies sustain cooperation amid profound disagreement. Drawing on political theory, institutional analysis, and comparative research, it investigates how norms, laws, and shared practices make coexistence possible.
They study the institutional architectures that transform conflict into collaboration—from local governance arrangements to constitutional frameworks and civic organizations. The goal is not consensus, but peaceful cohabitation: to discover how diverse people build durable systems of mutual respect and common purpose. Their work connects philosophical inquiry with practical lessons for democratic resilience in divided societies.For more information, visit https://cgm.pitt.edu/research/governing-deep-differences/ or contact the Center for Governance and Markets, cgm@pitt.edu.
- Public Interest Technology
The Research
“Teaching Note-Preparing Social Work Students to Work with Public Interest Technology,” introduces public interest technology (PIT), an emerging interdisciplinary field dedicated to designing, deploying, and governing technology to serve the public interest and enhance people’s well-being. The research contributes to ongoing national conversations about how the field prepares professionals to address complex social challenges and will be published in full in the Journal of Social Work Education. Linardi is one of three authors credited in the final publication, alongside Dr. Soobin Kim from the University of Georgia Athens and Helen Petracchi from the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work.For more information, visit https://www.spia.pitt.edu/news/new-spia-faculty-research-draws-interest-ahead-journal-publication or contact Associate Professor Sera Linardi.
- Gender Equality in Public Administration
The Research
The “Gender Equality in Public Administration” (GEPA) working group began in 2015 and has involved over 100 students to date. In collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the working group produced and launched the 2021 Global Gender Equality in Public Administration Report and the first global dataset of publicly available comparable measures of public administration, the Gen-PaCS dataset, highlighting the research conducted by students on locating women within public administrations globally. The GEPA working group makes an annual research presentation to the UNDP partners at the UN HQ in New York and offers a competitive paid internship opportunity to work with the Gender Teams at the six UNDP Regional Hubs.
For more information, visit https://www.fordinstitute.pitt.edu/working-groups-0/gender-equality-public-administration or contact Associate Professor Müge Finkel.