Steven J. Jackson is an assistant professor at the School of Information and coordinator of the Information Policy specialization of the Master of Science in Information program.

His work explores the growing contributions of IT forms and practices -- most notably computer modeling and simulation techniques -- to the practice of democratic administration and governance. To date, he has focused primarily on the development of water simulation models in the American Southwest (the subject of his Ph.D. dissertation), though current work seeks to build this out in a comparative direction.

Pragmatically, Jackson is interested in notions and standards of "virtual accountability" that might improve efficiency, effectiveness, and deliberative equity at the IT/policy interface.

Additional research and teaching interests lie in the analysis and design of information and communication policy; information technologies and international development; and the application of socio-historical theory and method to the study of contemporary information systems and practices.

In fall 2007, Jackson joined the editorial board (as technology editor) for Metascience, the UK-based science and technology studies review journal. Metascience is the leading venue for book reviews in STS, history, and philosophy of science.

Before arriving in Michigan, Jackson spent a year as a fellow at the National Center for Digital Government at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.