On the Augusta River
Miller’s research explores how technology, environments and social systems intersect. They examine how technological infrastructures emerge from specific historical and geographical contexts, all with a focus on militarism, digital cultures and feminist technology studies.
For example, Miller has a book coming out soon, "Securing the cyber ecosystem: Politics of remediation in the liberal security state." The book originated from their dissertation work and examines the concept of the "cyber ecosystem" as a tool for the U.S. security state. Through research in Georgia and South Carolina, it traces the cyber ecosystem's history from Cold War defense and ecological projects to modern cybersecurity.
“In many ways, the project offers an alternative history of cybernetics, with much of my research focused on the relationship between the Savannah River nuclear reservation and the Georgia Cyber Center,” they said. “The cyber center was a new campus being built during the time of my fieldwork. So, I got to experience it from all stages of development and architectural design and construction.”
The center is the largest U.S. state-sponsored cyber security campus integrating government, military, higher education and industry in one location. Miller said it’s being used as an example for similar spaces focused on workforce development and cybersecurity at a time when government finds itself struggling to keep up with industry.
However, these economic developments come at a cost, Miller said, threatening the displacement of Augusta’s historically Black downtown. “In order to understand present cybersecurity-driven development, the book goes all the way back to the legacies of the Civil War and Reconstruction.”
For instance, Miller traces the journey of Augusta Powder Works, a Confederate manufacture of gun powder to that of another mixed-use cybersecurity development, the Augusta Cyber Works. Over the years, the site would have several other purposes, including a milling operation and a cotton production. Miller is interested in what that means to the building, the industries and the city, which is adjacent to the Augusta River.
The Feminist Technocultures Lab
This past spring semester, Miller launched a lab that combines feminist science and technology studies with principles of interdisciplinary collaboration. They say it’s always been a dream, and they credit Jayakar, Bellisario College dean Marie Hardin, and WGSS department head Alicia Decker for providing the needed support.
“They all celebrated and encouraged the idea [of starting the lab],” Miller said. “And we’ve really taken off running.”
There are already 29 students — both graduate and undergraduate — participating. The students represent the Bellisario College, Liberal Arts and the College of Information Sciences and Technology. Miller has received interest from students at other departments, as well as other universities.
“It is really important for our graduate students to be learning from and with our undergraduate students, because we're all coming with different backgrounds and bases of knowledge,” Miller said. “I know that I learn an incredible amount from all of my students.”
The lab members are developing proposals for an upcoming conference, and Miller says other activities are fashioned to fit the needs of the students.
“If they're applying to graduate school or if they're giving job talks or presenting their first conference papers or working on dissertation chapters … we read together, we write together, we think together,” Miller said. “I am so grateful and excited to see how students have taken the space and run with it.”
Jayakar said he is excited too: "Andrea is hitting all the right notes in research, teaching and service. A book under contract with a top-notch academic publisher, grants both internal and external, teaching contributions at every level from introductory courses to graduate seminars and meaningful service.
"It is interdisciplinary work at its finest."