Zachary J. McDowell is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Illinois Chicago. Focusing on Information and Media Theory, policy analysis, and political economy, Zach focuses on digital knowledge platforms, particularly Wikipedia and emerging algorithmic AI systems, and their implications for knowledge representation and access. His research critically examines the evolving role of complex digital environments in shaping public knowledge, information literacy, labor, and social justice. He is the co-founder and editor of the Diamond open-access journal communication +1 and the coauthor of Wikipedia and the Representation of Reality.