Martha Fuentes-Bautista is faculty of the Department of Communication and the Center for Public Policy and Administration at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Her research focuses on the social and policy implications of information and communication technologies with a particular interest in how ICT may exacerbate or alleviate social inequalities. Building on case studies in Latin America and the U.S., her research projects explore the institutional context of ICT adoption and use in inner city and rural communities, and the role of local governments, non-profits, and social movements in promoting and managing community computing solutions for these populations.

Her dissertation explored the transformation of public access to new media in the U.S. in the convergence era. Employing qualitative and quantitative methods, the project assesses these changes by examining how organizations (e.g., libraries, free-nets and community technology centers, and community wireless groups) shape public access to new information and communication technologies as they respond to shifting regulations, innovations, and questions of social exclusion in the information age.

Martha’s cross-country, critical analyses of telecommunication and digital divide policies in Latin America and the U.S. have been published in the U.S. and Brazil. She is also co-author of book chapters on global and regional broadcasting and telecommunication flows. Her recent published work explores institutional and societal dimensions of the deployment of public Wi-Fi networks in Austin. She will join the faculty of the Department of Communication and the Center for Public Policy at University of Massachusetts, Amherst in the fall 2007.

Beyond her academic career, she has worked as media professional and as a practitioner in telecenters in Latin America. She has served on the board of Austin Free-Net since 2003.