Who we are

Maroon

Maroons, as a Caribbean population, were enslaved Africans who escaped captivity and formed autonomous communities in the rugged Caribbean terrain. In a contemporary context, marooning would likely involve resisting systemic oppression, advocating for self-determination, and preserving cultural heritage through collective action and solidarity.

Operations Research

Community-Based Operations Research (CBOR) is a sub-discipline within operations research and management sciences that synthesizes qualitative and quantitative methods to address localized problems faced by marginalized and autonomous communities, emphasizing place, space, and the concerns of citizens affiliated through characteristics of race, ethnicity, and class. 1

Systems Engineering

Systems engineering, when harnessed for liberation, becomes a potent tool for dismantling oppressive structures and fostering equitable change. Systems engineering becomes a vehicle for liberation when it shifts from merely optimizing processes to actively dismantling systemic barriers and empowering those who have historically been marginalized.

Values

Child and Community Centered

Leveraging child and community-centered approaches within uncertain decision-making processes can empower marginalized communities by prioritizing family units, acknowledging past trauma, and shifting the focus toward reparation, ultimately fostering seventh generation futures, cultural continuity, and collective memory.

Organized & Directed

As researchers we play crucial roles in supporting marginalized communities. Here are some values we practice for effective engagement:

1. Cultural Humility
2. Individualized Interventions
3. Transparency and Trust
4. Qualitative Approaches

By fostering collaboration, cultural humility, and community integration, we can contribute meaningfully to the well-being and empowerment of marginalized communities.

Ethical Excellence

Ethical excellence in our lab means adhering to rigorous ethical standards throughout research, development, and implementation processes. It encompasses:

1. Human-Centered Design: Prioritizing the well-being and rights of individuals impacted by our work.
2. Bias Mitigation: Actively identifying and addressing biases inherent in internal frameworks and models.
3. Accountability: Holding ourselves accountable for the consequences of our models by engaging stakeholders and transparently detailing behavior, limitations, and potential risks.
4. Beneficence: Striving to maximize positive impact while minimizing harm.
5. Continuous Learning: Engaging in ongoing education and reflection on ethical dilemmas. Researchers should adapt to evolving norms, engage with interdisciplinary perspectives, and actively seek feedback from affected communities.

Ethical excellence means integrating ethical considerations into every stage of our research, fostering responsible innovation, and ensuring that technology aligns with our individual, interpersonal, systemic, and ancestral values and societal needs.

Mission

Consensual Policy Research Lab

Our consensual policy research lab is a dynamic space where we as researchers interact with practitioners and collaborate to explore and analyze various aspects of public policy.

1. Purpose and Focus:
   • Generate evidence-based insights that inform policy decisions.
   • Investigate pressing societal issues, ranging from healthcare and education to environmental sustainability and social justice.
2. Collaboration and Engagement:
   • Interdisciplinary Approach: Bring together experts from diverse fields—such as economics, feminisms, sociology, political science, law, and of course engineering—to tackle complex policy challenges.
   • Stakeholder Engagement: We actively engage with policymakers, community leaders, and affected communities to ensure that research aligns with real-world needs while we seek policies that promote equity, justice, and well-being within communities.

Whether it’s analyzing healthcare access, educational equity, or environmental sustainability, we seek to remain at the forefront of positive change.