The Tech for Humanity Lab blog is comprised of research and general interests posts from lab students and faculty.
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An Overview of the U.S. Immigration Surveillance Infrastructure
By Brooke Spens, Ishaanvi Saini, Abigail Yared, and Halima Islam Abstract In recent months, the proliferating surveillance capabilities of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have made headlines ranging from the alleged use of cell-site simulators to Palantir data mining systems. Surveillance technologies contracted and deployed by ICE extend beyond typical immigration enforcement with…
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Open-Source Hearing Aids: A Look into the Future of Medical Technology and Coding
By Brooke Struyk Edited by Nataliya Brantly Abstract: Hearing loss affects a large portion of the global population, yet the prices for hearings aids continue to increase. With quality devices costing an upwards of $2000 per pair, and lasting between three to seven years depending on the model, access to these technologies has become…
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Healthcare in Wartime Ukraine
Nataliya D. Brantly, PhD Abstract This blog post shares reflections from my recent trip to Ukraine (2025), where I conducted interviews and gathered data in Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, and several surrounding communities. I spoke with health care providers and patients to understand their perspectives on the state of Ukraine’s health care system, the impact of…
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Implementing AI in Music Recommenders and ethical concerns
By Kat Patten Abstract In 2022, the widespread use of generative AI has increased and since then it has been incorporated into our everyday lives. Not only can AI be used to look up simple questions, but it can be used to aid specific areas such as questions within a company, exercise tips, and…
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Debunking Online Hitmen
Zoe Hess and Palen Kelly This paper will investigate the dark web, specifically the Onion Router (Tor) to explore what posts and websites relate to hiring a hitman. Is there a market related to contracting killing or violence? And is it easily assessable? While seemingly present in modern media through movies and tv series,…
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How Does Political Repression in Iran Drive Dark Web Activity?
By Sutton Marks and Yancey Wegner Introduction On the topic human rights there have been numerous political protests in the country of Iran. Such protests have led to civil unrest and loss of lives, examples including Bloody November and the death of Mahsa (Jini) Amini in police custody. While citizens attempt justice against their…
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Vendor Trust and Drug Pricing on Abacus: A Study of Methamphetamine, Cocaine, and Ketamine
By: Leah Cushing and Gracie Griffin This study explores the relationship between vendor trust and drug pricing within a major darkweb marketplace called Abacus. Focusing on methamphetamine, cocaine, and ketamine listings, the research examines whether higher levels of vendor trust, measured via reputation scores, positively impact higher drug prices. Using The Onion Router (Tor)…
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Cybersecurity for Academics and Students
Join the Tech for Humanity Lab for a virtual workshop on how to protect your digital life, safeguard your research, and build responsible digital habits. When: November 17th, 2025 From: 10:30am – 12:00pm Where: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/88187329475 Event Overview This event seeks to empower students, faculty, and researchers with the knowledge and tools they need to…
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Enhancing Cyber Threat Intelligence through Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) Using a Knowledge-Aware AI Framework
By Muhammad Saiful Alam Introduction The increasing complexity of cyberattacks demands advanced tools capable of understanding and reasoning with evolving security information. Traditional detection systems utilizing static rule sets or signature-based methods often lag behind in adapting to the rapidly evolving tactics used by modern attackers. The latest development of Large Language Models (LLMs)…
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Addressing Bias in AI Healthcare: Protecting Vulnerable Patient Populations
by Javaid Sofi Abstract AI’s integration into healthcare, while promising enhanced diagnostics and efficiency, carries a significant risk of amplifying health disparities affecting vulnerable populations. Bias arises from unrepresentative datasets (e.g., dermatology algorithms trained on lighter skin tones), cognitive biases in clinical labelling, and flawed proxies like zip codes conflating geography with health risk. Studies…