For Vannary Sou, the Tech Policy Lab offered a learning opportunity that surpassed anything she found in a classroom.
“The best thing that I’ve been able to experience while working at the Lab is, honestly, getting to learn from other students at the Lab and from guests,” she said. “Being able to work with a lot of students at the Lab gave me more perspective and insight on what other fields are like.”
Sou, Informatics ’26, has been an intern with the Tech Policy Lab since 2023 and supports the variety of events the Lab hosts, including Tech Policy Discussions, Distinguished Lectures and WeRobot, where she worked closely with the program committee and helped review submitted papers.
“The opportunity strengthened both my research and communication skills,” she said. “Working in that environment (with an international, interdisciplinary team of legal and technical scholars and professionals) taught me how to engage with complex questions at the intersection of law and technology and contribute to collaborative academic work.”
She said the special access to visiting scholars is one of her favorite parts of interning with the Lab.
“Even though we’re there as event support, you still get to be there, and you learn a lot from the guest lecturers, get to know more about them, and talk to them in our smaller conversations, as just the Lab.”
This breadth of perspectives has given Sou a lot to think about. Her plan is to pursue grad school after she spends some time in the professional world to explore options. During her time at UW, Sou has worked as a research assistant with the Human Centered Design and Engineering department, and is currently a research assistant for a class on comparative law and policy for people with disabilities. Her interests center on data ethics, inclusive tech policy, health IT research and regulation, and improving accessibility to technology within marginalized communities.
“I picked up a minor (in disability studies) because in my major of informatics, accessibility is something that we don’t really talk about much, but it’s always mentioned as something that is an area of study that needs more work in the tech industry,” she said.
With so many options to consider, Sou has a big task ahead of her, but the strong foundation she built through the Lab will help her navigate it with intention.