Professor Hannah Bloch-Wehba was selected as a member of the Institute for Advanced Study’s (IAS) School of Social Science in Princeton for the 2024–2025 academic year. IAS is a leading center for basic research. Each year, IAS awards residential fellowships — known as “memberships” — through a highly competitive process to junior and senior scholars across disciplines. Bloch-Wehba is one of only 20 scholars selected as members of the School of Social Science from a pool of more than 600 applicants.
Bloch-Wehba's research engages the intricate relationship between technology and democratic governance. She aims to explore how private technology firms have become intertwined with public governance, and the subsequent implications for key public values such as transparency, accountability, and participation.
“I am excited and grateful for the time and opportunity to focus on a new project. I can imagine no better place to do this work than IAS, which has long been committed to critical inquiry across disciplinary boundaries,” Bloch-Wehba said. “I can’t wait to engage with the amazing group of faculty and members in the School of Social Science and to see how this experience shapes my thinking and my scholarship.”
During her time at IAS, she will begin work on a book manuscript exploring the relationship between technological change and the reshaping of public governance and power in the United States. The book will chart the growing influence of private firms providing the technological infrastructure for governance in criminal law enforcement, national security, and beyond.
“The law school is thrilled for Professor Bloch-Wehba and her well-deserved fellowship appointment,” said Professor Glynn Lunney, Jr, University Distinguished Professor and Associate Dean for Faculty Research & Development. “Being selected for this honor demonstrates the influence of her scholarship. Her work continues to shape the conversation over the shifting dynamics of technology and democratic governance."