Clara Belitz
The James N. and Eva Barrett Assistant Professor in Ethics and the Liberal Arts
Biography
Clara Belitz is the The James N. and Eva Barrett Assistant Professor in Ethics and the Liberal Arts in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. She brings a specialized focus to the intersections of algorithmic justice and AI ethics. Her research integrates social and technical approaches to equity in computing, specifically examining how social identity is incorporated into predictive systems and the epistemological assumptions underlying modern technology. Reflecting the College’s mission of intentional inquiry, Dr. Belitz’s work challenges the boundaries of data science to address systemic fairness within educational technologies.
Prior to joining the Holy Cross faculty, Dr. Belitz earned her doctorate in Information Science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she was a member of the Human + Machine Learning Lab and an affiliate of the Community Data Clinic. her academic background is further informed by professional industry experience as a DevOps Engineer and technical writer at a Boston-based startup, providing a practical lens on the real-world applications of her research. A 2017 graduate of Bowdoin College with a degree in Computer Science and Mathematics, she remains an active community organizer who enjoys reading speculative fiction and spending time outdoors.