Tara Burke

Tara supports MAPP’s researchers, scholars, practitioners, and graduate students in developing competitive proposals for funding. Her knowledge of research capacity-building, networking, proposal development and multidisciplinary collaborations promote institutional growth. She facilitates the cross-campus Smart Cities Initiative—a collaboration with the College of Information. The Initiative’s Roundtable series hosts presentations that span technology, urbanism, and local community engagement. Participants include academics, local municipal governments, Prince George’s County, and industry/non-profit organizations.

Tara’s research is on urban, residential internet access gaps known as the 1st level digital divide. In low-income communities, digital divides tend to reinforce pre-existing social, educational, and economic barriers; these factors are prime drivers of residential access gaps rather than technological, physical infrastructure deficits. Research remains a priority because data: (1) drives policy and funding priorities; (2) fills information gaps on hard-to-reach communities; (3) can elucidate place-based and demographic differences in home internet access, adoption, and satisfaction, leading to targeted interventions; and (4) may provide more accurate knowledge of Internet Service Provider service quality—vital for increasing market competition and lowering consumer costs. This research has been supported by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, Office of State Broadband, the University of Maryland Grand Challenges Program, the National Center for Smart Growth, and the MAPP Dean’s Office.

Research interests: 

• Digital divide
• Internet access
• Information science
• Research | practice development

Affiliations:

• National Center for Smart Growth
• UMD College of Information