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A tenured professor at the University of California San Diego is in the crosshairs of university administrators and Republican Congressman for his electronic activism. Ricardo Dominguez who received tenure only last year, leads a cutting-edge laboratory called B.A.N.G which stands for Bits. Atoms. Neurons. Genes. The lab is developing what’s called a “Transborder Immigrant Tool,” which could enable migrants crossing the US border from Mexico to use GPS-enabled cell phones to find water jugs, and know the locations of US Border Patrol, as well as hear inspiring poetry while making the grueling and life-risking journey. Three GOP lawmakers are demanding to know how much if any tax payers dollars went into funding and developing the tool. Professor Dominguez is also the co-founder of Electronic Disturbance Theater, or EDT, which is a group that developed Virtual-Sit-In technologies in 1998 in solidarity with the Zapatista communities in Chiapas. Most recently Dominguez helped organize a virtual sit-in on the UC system president’s website, using this technology on March 4th, the national day of action around the defunding of public higher education. For this, he is being investigated by UC police and accused by administrators of launching a “denial of service” attack, which could be construed as a crime. As he is being probed for both aspects of his research and activism, Professor Dominguez has received overwhelming support from hundreds of faculty and students in California and the rest of the nation. Petitions have been launched calling on the protection of academic freedom, and a rally was held on his behalf on the UCSD campus yesterday.

GUESTS: Ricardo Dominguez, Associate Professor in the Department of Visual Arts at UCSD, Daniel Widener, Associate Professor in the Department of History at UCSD.

Find out more at http://bang.calit2.net, http://realpainrealaction.org, and http://stopracismucsd.wordpress.com.