Alyson Lam

Fellow Year:

2024

Track:

Design

Agency:

Internal Revenue Service

Education:

Georgia Institute of Technology

Hometown:

Mason, OH

Alyson is a multidisciplinary designer that believes our government should function in the best interest of the people, especially at a time when trust in government is at its lowest.

She graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a degree in Industrial Design. Through her work there in and out of the classroom, she realized the potential of participatory design to deliver high quality and community-led solutions that would work for the people actually using them. She previously helped demonstrate the potential of AR technology to address civic problems in El Paso, TX as a Coding It Forward Design Fellow. Now, after more than a year as the primary designer at a SaaS startup, she is volunteering with OpenOakland on a project to help increase participation in local government.

What Inspired You To Join The U.S. Digital Corps?

"Like many people, I wanted to do something meaningful with my work and found Civic Tech. Despite the apparent need to improve digital service delivery, opportunities to start a career in this field were quite rare. When considering the complexity and sensitivity of the problems that a government must address, it's clear why they simply cannot afford to get it wrong. The U.S. Digital Corps is that unique opportunity that offers a chance to learn how to get it right."

Fun Fact:

Alyson spent three years volunteering at a makerspace and is a chronic DIY-er. At any given time she has at least one project going and has made furniture, keyboards, ceramics, and clothing.