Research Interests: History of technology; labor history; history of computing; history of bureaucracy; media studies; STS; political economy; history of capitalism; urban studies; critical legal studies; digital humanities.

Max Kwass-Mason studies the political economy of computer security, with a focus on municipal administration in the United States and European Union. His research explores the impact of early computer networking and Cold War thinking on the work processes of city employees. He’s interested in how institutional actors reconciled existing norms around transparency with emerging security concerns, all amidst a drive towards automation of public services.

Max earned his BA from Columbia, where his thesis focused on the introduction of word processing technology and management to the United States Supreme Court. Before starting his PhD, Max worked on Covid-19-related oversight as a data scientist for the United States Department of Justice.

Previous Degrees:

B.A. History, Computer Science, Columbia University