I am an Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan School of Information. Previously, I was in the College of Computing and Informatics at Drexel University. I hold a PhD in Human-Computer Interaction from Carnegie Mellon University, and a BS in Informatics from the University of California, Irvine. 

My research uses community-engaged and participatory methods to study how people build relationships and a sense of belonging, then explore how technology can more effectively help to connect us rather than disconnect, divide, and isolate us. I particularly focus on the mental health of children, youth, and communities with experiences of marginalization or trauma. I design and deploy technologies to study their role everyday social interactions and relationships, including their unintended consequences.

The following publications represent my current research priorities. For all publications, please visit my Google Scholar profile.

Design of technologies for mental health and wellbeing

• Social Connectedness as a Focus for Designing Technologies in Support of Mental Health, ECSCW 2024 [pdf]

• Attachment-Informed Design: Digital Interventions That Build Self-Worth, Relationships, and Community in Support of Mental Health, DIS 2023 Best Paper Award [pdf]

• Toward Trauma-Informed Design of Behavioral Interventions: A Case Study
on Classroom Management, ECSCW 2022 [pdf]

Community-driven technological interventions

• Meeting People Where They Are: Building Community-Centered Care with Smartphone-Facilitated Response to Overdoses, GROUP 2025 [pdf]

• Acceptability of Smartphone Applications for Facilitating Layperson Naloxone Administration During Opioid Overdoses, JAMIA Open 2019 [link]

• “Would I Feel More Secure With a Robot?”: Understanding Perceptions of Security Robots in Public Spaces, PACM CSCW 2023 [pdf]

News and Travel

Nov 10-13 | Attending CSCW 2024 to co-chair the Doctoral Consortium.

Oct 28 | This UM faculty spotlight highlighted my new monthly comedy show that blends research presentations from my School of Information colleagues, and improvised scenes inspired by their research.

Oct 3 | Our paper, Meeting People Where They Are: Building Community-Centered Care with Smartphone-Facilitated Response to Overdoses, has been accepted to GROUP 2025. [pdf]

Jul 23 | The School of Information selected me as this year’s faculty recipient of the Award for Impact in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. This award recognized my research projects addressing the crises of opioid overdoses and gun violence in Philadelphia, as well as my teaching successes with regard to making my large course feel small for students.

Jun 19-21 | Attending ECSCW 2024 as Journal Papers Co-Chair, and to present our short paper, Social Connectedness as a Focus for Designing Technologies in Support of Mental Health. [pdf]

Jan 29 | Awarded an ADVANCE Crosby Faculty Grant for the project Establishing an Equitable Community Partnership for Impactful Digital Mental Health Intervention Focused on Youth.

Teaching

SI 422: Needs Assessment and Usability Evaluation (Fall and Winter)

Interested in working with me?

If you are an undergrad at U of M, I am generally looking for skills in qualitative UX research and design, and strong writing ability. I sometimes have paid part-time positions available on specific projects, or you may be able to do an independent study (SI 491) for credits. I can also advise an LSA Senior Thesis. I am more likely to be able to work with you if you are passionate about engaging with a particular topic, and that topic is very relevant to my own research. If you are connected to a community or social issue I have written about in one of my papers, please tell me.

If you are a Master’s student at U of M, I get many requests especially from talented MSI students looking to fund their degrees. Unfortunately I am not able to respond to all inquiries about this. For a research position (GSRA), what will set you apart is experience working in community-based settings with populations that have experienced marginalization or trauma. For a teaching position (GSI) in SI 422, what will set you apart is real-world experience with UX research (the course does not cover design), so that you can help students in the course apply a variety of research methods and explain how they are used with clients or in product teams.

If you are applying to our PhD program, I receive many emails and unfortunately cannot reply to all of them. You will be more likely to get a response if you describe how you would build on one of my past papers. Please note that my research is heavily community-based and qualitative, so what I look for most is experience with ethnography, participatory design, action research, community-based participatory research, etc. I am also generally looking for exceptional writing skills, which are critical for qualitative research.