On May 21, 2026, students, mentors and state leaders gathered at the UC Student and Policy Center in Sacramento for the final showcase of the CITRIS Responsible Technology Fellows program, celebrating five months of collaboration between the California Department of Technology (CDT) and the Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society and the Banatao Institute (CITRIS). The event brought together representatives from across state government, including California Chief Technology Innovation Officer Vera Zakem and State CIO Chris Given.
Created with funding from the Governor’s budget several years ago, the fellowship places undergraduate and graduate students from all four CITRIS campuses—UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Merced and UC Santa Cruz—directly within CDT teams and partner state agencies, where they contribute technical expertise to projects spanning data services, cybersecurity, responsible AI and digital identity systems. Mentors across participating departments highlighted the valuable role fellows played in advancing ongoing state initiatives, bringing both technical skill and new perspectives to complex public-sector challenges.
For students, the program offers an opportunity to apply academic training to real-world policy and technology issues while building professional experience in public service. In addition to project work, fellows participate in workshops and professional development activities focused on leadership, communication, collaboration and project management.
The showcase underscored the broader goal of the CDT–CITRIS partnership: strengthening California’s capacity for responsible public-interest technology while building a new generation of technologists prepared to work at the intersection of government, policy and innovation.
“This partnership has demonstrated the value of connecting California’s public agencies with the talent and expertise emerging from our universities,” said CITRIS executive director Camille Crittenden. “We’re grateful to stakeholders across state government for engaging with our students, helping them to contribute to meaningful public-service work while gaining firsthand experience with some of California’s most pressing challenges. Based on this success, we hope to secure additional support that will allow the program to continue growing in the years ahead.”