I will be on leave from teaching for the 2009-2010 academic year. This time will allow me to pursue my scholarly work at the intersection of participatory design and persuasive technology. I will be collaborating with EcoHouse and other organizations to develop information technology that helps them to engage in more environmentally sustainable behaviors.
Students may email me for an appointment, or in an emergency, call me at the cell phone number posted outside my office door.
In summer 2008, I worked with students Tim Miller and Pat Rich on participatory design of technology to promote resource conservation on the Grinnell campus. You can read my original overview or a news story about the results of their work. See also our research paper: ADAPT: Audience Design of Ambient Persuasive Technology.
In summer 2007, I worked with Sam Rebelsky and students Lorelei Kelly, Max Kuipers, and Tim Miller on implementing the media computation approach in CSC151. The result was DrFu, which has now been superceded by MediaScript.
My chief scholarly interests
lie in the area of human-computer interaction HCI). I see this
area as broadly addressing a scientific question and a design question:
How do people interact with computers? And how can we design computer
systems to enhance rather than detract from the human experience?
My work as a computer scientist emphasizes the latter.
In my
current work, I am exploring methods for the design of ethical
persuasive technology, and in particular, information systems to
promote resource conservation. Next year, I will have a research leave
to work with Grinnell's EcoHouse and other organizations, engaging in
participatory design of such technology.
In my dissertation at the University of Washington, I engaged in Value Sensitive Design of user interfaces for UrbanSim,
a large scale urban planning simulator, with an eye to transparency,
fairness, and democracy to
support the legitimacy of using UrbanSim as part of the political
process.
I considered documentation for technical uses, a platform to
allow advocacy groups to prsent their views on using simulation data,
and new interfaces to enable
citizens to interact directly with simulation results.
Other professional interests include ubiquitous computing, networks, distributed systems, the role of human values in the CS curriculum, and computational nutrition.
My
teaching interests span introductory computer science, computer
systems, design, and the social influences and implications of
computing and other technology. In my time at Grinnell, I've
taught Functional Problem Solving (CSC 151), Operating Systems (CSC
213), Computer Networks (CSC 364), Software Design (CSC 223),
Human-Computer Interaction (CSC 295), Evolution of Technology (TEC
154), and a Tutorial on technology and place.
I have been
working with Sam Rebelsky (CS) and Matt Kluber (Art) to introduce a
media computation focus in the introductory computer science course.
I
like to create a conversational atmosphere in my classes, and I
especially enjoy talking about problems for which there is not one
right answer.
My personal interests and pleasures include beadwork and other crafts, walking, backpacking, yoga, gardening, cooking, reading, talking with cats, and collecting computer science jokes. You can look at my increasingly out-of-date personal web site.
I had way too much fun with my new Mac. You can see a photo tour of my garden in Seattle or my first office at Grinnell.
Created August 14, 2006
Last modified February 4, 2010
