About Us

About PIPC

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The Public Interest Privacy Center is an organization that equips stakeholders with the insights, training, and tools needed to cultivate effective, ethical, and equitable privacy safeguards for all children and students.

Our vision is that high-impact stakeholders at every tier will have the information and tools necessary to protect all children’s fundamental right to privacy. By educating and equipping high-impact groups and fostering a culture of privacy, PIPC will help create an environment where all children will enjoy privacy-protected benefits of emerging technologies and data use.

The child and student privacy legal and practical landscape is undergoing rapid, continual change.

While educators and school administrators grapple with understanding and applying new technologies and data sharing practices within the classroom, new child privacy protections are being introduced in federal and state legislation on an almost-weekly basis. With over 130 state student privacy laws passed since 2014 and new federal regulations on the horizon, education stakeholders have struggled to stay on top of legal and practical implications. With more attention being paid to privacy and technology issues at all levels, there is a growing critical need for accessible and practical guidance and technical assistance.

Founded in 2022, PIPC is led by a diverse board of education privacy experts and globally recognized child and student privacy expert Amelia Vance. PIPC is registered as a nonstock corporation formed for the non-profit purpose of providing education in Virginia and is in the process of applying for 501(c)(3) status with the IRS. PIPC has partnered with AASA, The School Superintendents Association, to operate AASA’s newly created Student & Child Privacy Center.

What We Do

Our vision is that high-impact stakeholders at every tier will have the information and tools necessary to protect all children’s fundamental right to privacy. By educating and equipping high-impact groups and fostering a culture of privacy, PIPC will help create an environment where all children will enjoy privacy-protected benefits of emerging technologies and data use.

Are our missions aligned? Contact us to collaborate.

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    The Team

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    Jessica Arciniega

    Jessica Arciniega is an Ethics and Privacy Counsel at PIPC

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    Katherine Kalpos

    Katherine Kalpos is the Vice President of PIPC

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    Morgan Sexton

    Morgan Sexton is an Ethics and Privacy Counsel at PIPC

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    Amelia Vance

    Amelia Vance, a globally recognized expert in child and student privacy, is the Founder and President of the Public Interest Privacy Center

    Our Board of Directors

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    Michael Brewster Hawes

    U.S. Census Bureau

    Michael Hawes is the U.S. Census Bureau’s senior survey statistician for Scientific Communication. In this role, he is responsible for research and development in the area of scientific communication regarding agency initiatives and issues relating to access, management, quality, and confidentiality of Census Bureau data and statistical products. He also advises agency senior leadership on improving technical communication to scientific journals, government officials, agency partners, media, data users, and other stakeholders.

    From 2019 until 2022, Michael served as the Census Bureau’s senior advisor for Data Access and Privacy where he was responsible for outreach and engagement with the Census Bureau’s data users on issues relating to the impact of statistical disclosure limitation methods on the accessibility and usability of census data. Prior to joining the Census Bureau, Michael served as the director of Student Privacy at the U.S. Department of Education where he was the department’s senior policy official responsible for the administration and enforcement of federal laws governing the privacy and confidentiality of education records. Michael also served as privacy consultant to the Federal Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking.

    Michael is a member of the Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology (FCSM) and serves as vice-chair of the FCSM-sponsored Federal Disclosure Review Officer Council. He is a certified government privacy professional (CIPP/G), a Project Management Professional (PMP), and a senior fellow of the Partnership for Public Service’s Excellence in Government program. He also serves as an appointed member of the American Statistical Association’s (ASA) Privacy and Confidentiality Committee.

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    Sara Kloek

    Software & Information Industry Association

    Sara Kloek is the Software & Information Industry Association’s (SIIA) vice president of education policy focusing on a broad range of issues including education technology policy and education and children’s privacy issues. Sara previously served as the senior privacy and technology fellow at the U.S. Department of Education in the Office of the Chief Privacy Officer. Much of her time there was spent leading interagency discussions and subsequent negotiations related to guidance on student privacy and educational technology. Prior to her fellowship, she led the development of privacy and transparency best practices for apps for children and served as an education policy advisor to a senior member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

    Sara is an International Association of Privacy Professionals Certified Information Privacy Professional/United States (CIPP/US) and recently authored a chapter on student privacy in IAPP’s “Children Privacy and Safety” book. She is an enthusiastic advocate for education technology, clear privacy policies, and bees.