Esther Jang
I'm a newly graduated PhD turned postdoc in Computer Science at the University of Washington. I'm also a Director at the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Local Connectivity Lab (LCL). I founded the (2019) Seattle Community Network (SCN), where we build DIY Internet infrastructure for digital equity. I've installed community networks in the US and around the world, and teach technical networking at the Tribal Broadband Bootcamp (TBB).
My projects tend to center around DIY, empowerment, and pedagogy. For example- building communities of practice to sustain technical infrastructures, and vice versa.
Seattle Community Network | UW | 2019-present
An action research project to design, build, deploy, and sustain a community LTE and WiFi network for low-income and marginalized groups in Seattle. Advised by Dr. Kurtis Heimerl. Supported by the National Science Foundation, City of Seattle, King County, and community partnerships. [link.]
Maijuna Connectivity | UW, PUCP | 2019-present
Community LTE deployment and sustainability projects for Maijuna Indigenous communities along the Napo River in Peru. Advised by Dr. Jason Young, Dr. Michael Gilmore, and Dr. Kurtis Heimerl in collaboration with the PUCP Rural Telecommunications Group in Peru.
Community Networks Toolkit | Athabasca U. | 2019-2024
Qualitative field study of community wireless network management structures and sustainability in Oaxaca, MX and Quintana, AR towards co-creating a network sustainability toolkit. Advised by Dr. Michael Lithgow. [link.]
Rural Repair for Community Cellular | UW, UP | 2017-2018
Designed SMS-based software and hardware sensor utilities to facilitate local repair of rural basestations by non-expert community members of villages in the remote rural Philippines. Studies performed in collaboration with the University of the Philippines Diliman in 2017, published at CHI 2018 and CSCW 2019. Advised by Dr. Kurtis Heimerl.
Puffin, a sip-puff joystick mouse | MIT | 2015-2016
Co-designed and prototyped a portable, low-cost sip-puff joystick mouse for accessibility. Project began at the MIT Assistive Technology Hackathon. Advised by community partner Adriana Mallozzi.
MEng: Cognitive routing for sensor networks | MIT | 2015-2016
Designed and analyzed a delay-minimal cognitive routing algorithm with traffic measurement for metropolitan area sensor networks. Advised by Dr. Vincent Chan.
Algorithms for miniature robot swarming | UMD | 2013
Fabricated and programmed miniature robots to exhibit distance-based swarming with RSSI as distance metric. Advised by Dr. Derek Paley and Dr. Sarah Bergbreiter.
Investigation of genes in brain aging | MIT | 2012-2013
Built computational models of brain aging with microarray gene expression levels. Advised by Dr. Christin Glorioso and Dr. Leonard Guarente.
Low-cost Internet access in rural Tanzania | MIT | 2011-2012
Designed and deployed a system for improving broadband access at Orkeeswa Secondary School. System has been implemented at multiple schools. Advised by Dr. Vincent Chan.
My research reflects core themes I care about.
Johnson, M., Sudheesh, S., Durand, N., Jang, E., Sevilla, S., and Heimerl, K. (2024). dauth: A Resilient Authentication Architecture for Federated Private Cellular Networks - SIGCOMM 2024.
Jang, E., Garrison, P., Vistal, R., Perez, M., Martinez, P., Johnson, M., Barela, M., Evangelista, J., Ahmed, I., Dionisio, J., and Heimerl, K. (2019). Trust and Technology Repair Infrastructures in the Remote Rural Philippines - CSCW 19. [link.]
Weld, G., Jang, E., Li, A., Zeng, A., Heimerl, K., Froehlich, J. (2019). Deep Learning for Automatically Detecting Sidewalk Accessibility Problems Using Streetscape Imagery - ASSETS 19. [link.]
Johnson, M., Sevilla, S., Jang, E., Heimerl, K. (2018). dLTE: Building a more WiFi-like Cellular Network (Instead of the Other Way Around) - HotNets 18. [link.]
Jang, E., Barela, M., Johnson, M., Martinez, P., Festin, C., Lynn, M., Dionisio, J., Heimerl, K. (2017). Crowdsourcing Rural Network Maintenance and Repair via Network Messaging - CHI 17. [link.]
Jang, E., Johnson, M., Burnell, E., and Heimerl, K. (2017). Unplanned Obsolescence: Software and Hardware After Collapse. Proceedings of the 2017 Workshop on Computing Within Limits - LIMITS 17. doi:10.1145/3080556.3080566 [link.]
participatory . diy . open source . learnable . repairable . sustainable . local . communal . decentralized . playful . enjoyable . feminist . social . infrastructure
My hobbies bring me great joy.
I am currently working on co-founding a communal house in Seattle. Ask me about communal living!
I love singing and improvising music, especially jazz. I occasionally jam and perform with friends around the city.
I also enjoy mushroom hunting, hiking, climbing, and backpacking.
When in my hometown of New York City, I'm a volunteer installer with the NYC Mesh Network organization.