I use design and empiric methods to explore how computing technologies might address social inequality.
As of Fall 2022, I am the HCI Program Director at SOIC! Join us!
In research, I study, design, and prototype human-centered technologies for intervening in large systemic social issues, like social and economic inequalities (e.g., hunger; wage violations). My work contributes to the fields of human-computer interaction, ubiquitous and social computing, and design. The goal of such work is to understand the limitations and strengths of applying design methods to contemporary social issues. Such work produces analytic, theoretic, and pragmatic contributions within HCI to deepen the field’s understanding of how information and communication technologies may foster and inhibit social change. Given these interests and commitments, I explore themes of power, empowerment, politics, ethics, values, advocacy, and social justice within the context of the design and use of sociotechnical systems.
To conduct my work, I use qualitative, design, and technical methods to explore the boundaries of sociotechnical systems. I earned a Ph.D. in Informatics from the University of California, Irvine and a M.S. in Human-Computer Interaction and Design from Indiana University. I have practical design experience as a User Experience Research Intern for Google’s Gmail team. I received technical training while earning my B.S. in Computer Information Systems and Web and Digital Media Development from the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point and an Associates Degree in Networking Technologies at Mid-State Technical College. These experiences inform my design practice which situates design and technology within social processes.
I am grateful to have my research funded by the following: National Science Foundation, Intel Science & Technology Center for Social Computing, The Newkirk Center For Science and Society, and UCI’s Graduate Division Public Impact Fellowship Program.
Previously, I attended the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine, where I was co-advised by Gillian R. Hayes and Melissa Mazmanian. Lastly, I am a former member of the following organizations: Social and Technological Action Research Group, Laboratory for Ubiquitous Computing and Interaction, and the Intel Science & Technology Center for Social Computing.