The Notre Dame–IBM Technology Ethics Lab, a critical component of the Institute for Ethics and the Common Good (ECG) and the Notre Dame Ethics Initiative, welcomes Megan McDermott as the new Notre Dame director of the Tech Ethics Lab.

In her role, McDermott leads the Lab’s strategic planning and operations, orchestrates the work of faculty, doctoral students, and external partners involved in various Lab initiatives, and serves as the primary interface with Sara Berger, who spearheads IBM’s side of the Lab’s work. Stewarding the Lab’s research agenda and deepening its engagement with the broader ecosystem of industry, academic, and public-sector stakeholders is Megan’s ultimate aim, continuing to build collaborative opportunities across disciplines and fostering initiatives that respond to emerging ethical questions around responsible technological innovation, application, governance, and social impact.

Megan joins the Lab after nearly four years with the Pulte Institute for Global Development at Notre Dame, where she focused on research translation, stakeholder engagement, and systems-informed approaches to research and evaluation. With a background in anthropology and systems thinking, she brings over a decade of cross-sector experience—spanning education, human rights, and healthcare among others—in roles centered on participatory methodologies and cross-cultural collaboration. Her work has included designing complexity-aware frameworks for research and evaluation, leading root cause analyses to support socially responsible programming, and developing tools that strengthen research communication and stakeholder alignment. She holds an MSc in anthropology and development management from the London School of Economics.

“I’m honored to step into this role alongside so many brilliant colleagues and excited to help shape the next chapter of the Tech Ethics Lab,” said McDermott. “Technology doesn’t exist in a vacuum—it’s deeply embedded in cultural values, power dynamics, and human relationships. I look forward to helping the Lab continue to ask the hard questions and support collaborative efforts that imagine—and hopefully help build—a more ethical, human-centered technological future.”

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The Notre Dame–IBM Technology Ethics Lab, a critical component of the Institute for Ethics and the Common Good and the Notre Dame Ethics Initiative, promotes interdisciplinary research and policy leadership in technology ethics and is supported by a $20-million investment from IBM.

Originally published by Laura Moran Walton at ethics.nd.edu on June 30, 2025.