Hi, I’m Maritza. I care about building things that allow people to enjoy technological advancements without having to jump through unreasonable hoops to do it safely.
I'm an expert on human-centered security and privacy, and I'm the inaugural director of a new center for data science, AI, and society at the University of San Diego. Through my work I shape how organizations design and deploy data systems. My industry experience includes working as a user experience researcher on identity, security, and privacy at Google, and as a technical privacy manager at Facebook. In 2018, I co-created a usable privacy and security course for UC Berkeley's Master of Information and Cybersecurity program. I completed my PhD at Columbia University and wrote my dissertation on end-user access control, including researching whether people can correctly manage their Facebook privacy settings. In a few words, it’s complicated.If you're curious to see more check out my publications or Data Curious, a new project I'm contributing that aims to stoke your curiosity about how data is collected and used in our world.
PhD in Computer Science, 2012
Columbia University
MS in Computer Science, 2008
Columbia University
BA in Computer Science, 2005
University of San Diego