Gwen Shaffer

Background

About Gwen Shaffer

I'm a professor in the Department of Journalism and Public Relations at California State University Long Beach. I also serve as Director of Research for the College of Liberal Arts at CSULB. I teach internet regulation and communication law & policy courses. My academic research focuses on telecommunications policy, including studies on data privacy, community technology initiatives, and digital inclusion. From January 2015 to December 2022, I served on the City of Long Beach Technology and Innovation Commission-chairing from 2018 until my term ended-which advises the Mayor and City Council on relevant policy issues. During my eight years on the Technology & Innovation Commission, I contributed to developing policies on open data, broadband access, data privacy and more. Previously, I was a post-doctoral fellow in the Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences at the University of California, Irvine. There, my research focused on the intersection between telecom policy and internet architecture-including research involving net neutrality; regulation for converged internet platforms; and telecom company mergers. I worked as a reporter for 16 years, mostly covering Philadelphia politics, economic development and environmental issues.