Lab News
Congrats to Jessica on her honorable mention Dissertation Award at the 30th annual College of Computing Awards.
Congratulations to Toma and Nicole for passing their oral and written qualifiers! We are so proud of you both for passing this milestone in your PhD journey!
Dr. Jessica Pater’s winning dissertation is titled Digital Self-Harm: Implications of Eating Disordered Behaviors Online. Here is what the Committee had to say:
The thesis addressed a significant and highly sensitive social problem, taking an intellectually rigorous approach that has widespread potential impact.
Reviewers commented that the thesis demonstrates careful scholarship, with a “clear engagement with previous literature” and a “systematic review, with excellent synthesis”. The method is highlighted as including “not one, but a set of case studies” that thoroughly develop and test the thesis’ hypothesis in a robust process.
The panel also noted that the research presented has value for the wider information science community now, and in the future: “there is a clear case that the thesis confirms, but also alters much of our existing theories on social impacts of information”, and “the ideas created and presented transcend the topic studied”.
Most importantly, the social applicability and benefit of the research are tangible, presenting a “compelling case” for both the research and the problem it addresses. Overall the thesis, in the words of one reviewer “is a clear example case for the vital value of information science for the global community”.
Jessica and Beth have a new CHI paper on understanding how Clinicians assess for aspects of digital self-harm and their thoughts about the impacts of technology on the presentation of eating disorders. In this interview study they uncovered tensions related to clinician comfor and education into the (mis)use of technologies. They also explore the balancing of the positive and negative aspects of social media use with patients both prior to and post-clinical intervention. Finally, they also highlight the tensions of using social media within clinical practices and the use of social media data in the identification and treatment of patients with eating disorders. Click here to read the full paper. Congrats to Jess and Beth!
Tamara and Beth have a new CHI publication! The paper is focused on a study where they observed how ten dyads with an older adult with mild cognitive impairment and their care partners interacted with Google home over the course of ten weeks. A total of 3878 interactions were reviewed to better understand their experiences and survey data to understand individual preferences and priorities for automated assistance in the home. Click here to check out the paper. Congrats Tamara and Beth!!
Led by Dr. Clint Zeagler, this paper describes a between-participant study (104 participants) to determine how well users can locate e-textile interface discrete target touch points on the forearm without visual attention. We examine whether the addition of active touch embroidery and passive touch nubs (metal snaps with vibro-tactile stimulation) helps in locating input touch points accurately. They found that touch points towards the middle of the interface on the forearm were more difficult to touch accurately than at the ends. They also found that the addition of vibro-tactile stimulation aids in the accuracy of touch interactions by over 9% on average, and by almost 17% in the middle of the interface. Click here to read the paper. Congrats to Clint, Beth, and the rest of the team!
Niharika recently published a new blog post about research within the lab with older adults. Pulling from her work on the Mild Cognitive Impairment project, she offers a list of ideas that might help user researchers who work with older adults. Great work Niharika!
Tamara was named a top Atlanta 25 under 25 innovator by the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Tamara is the co-founder of a company, Vericrypt, which uses artificial intelligence to score bias in news text. To learn more about Tamara and the other innovators, click here. Congrats Tamara!!
Women in Technology (WIT) have named Beth as a finalist for WIT’s 2020 Women of the Year in STEAM Award. She is one of three finalists in the technology category for this annual WIT sponsored Women of the Year award held in Atlanta, Georgia. To learn more, click here. Congrats Beth!!
Georgia Tech and Georgia State University have teamed up on a project called LGBTQ+ RISE UP. The goal of the project is to use multimedia technology through a longitudinal, diary-based study to empower the LGBTQIA+ community to understand and document how LGBTQIA+ adults demonstrate resilience and coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic. To learn more click here.