Wendy Hui Kyong Chun

Wendy Hui Kyong Chun (born 1969) is a prominent Canadian media professor and scholar whose work critically examines digital media, new media, and software studies. She is recognized for her ability to bridge technical understanding with critical theory, a skill honed by her dual training in Systems Design Engineering and English Literature. Currently, she holds the Canada 150 Research Chair in New Media at Simon Fraser University and serves as the founding director of the Digital Democracies Institute. Prior to her roles at Simon Fraser University, Chun was a Professor and Chair of Modern Culture and Media at Brown University. Her research delves into how digital technologies shape our understanding of society, power, and recognition. Chun is an prolific author, with key works including "Control and Freedom: Power and Paranoia in the Age of Fiber Optics" (2006), which analyzes how freedom and control are intertwined in the digital age, "Programmed Visions: Software and Memory" (2011), exploring the logic of software and its influence on societal metaphors, and "Updating to Remain the Same: Habitual New Media" (2016), which discusses the impact of habitualized new media. Her most recent book, "Discriminating Data: Correlation, Neighborhoods, and the New Politics of Recognition" (2021), further investigates the societal implications of data and algorithms. Chun's contributions have significantly influenced the fields of media studies, critical theory, and digital humanities, earning her numerous accolades and fellowships, including being a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and a Guggenheim Fellow.