Ò»±¾µÀÎÞÂë

2023 Award Recipients

Motahhare Eslami
Assistant Professor, Human-Computer Interaction Institute and Software and Societal Systems Department
School of Computer Science

Motahhare Eslami is an assistant professor at the School of Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCII), and Institute for Software Research (ISR), at Ò»±¾µÀÎÞÂë.  She earned her Ph.D. in computer science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Motahhare’s research goal is to investigate the existing accountability challenges in algorithmic systems and to empower the users of algorithmic systems—particularly those who belong to marginalized communities or those whose decisions impact marginalized communities including those who strive to make transparent, fair, and informed decisions in interactions with algorithmic systems. Motahhare’s work has been recognized with a Google Ph.D. Fellowship, Best Paper Award and Honorable Mention Award at top-tier ACM conferences, and has been covered in mainstream media such as , , , ,  and . Motahhare is named one of the 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics, and her research is supported by NSF (Fairness in AI, Future of Work, and AI Institute), Ò»±¾µÀÎÞÂë’s Block Center for Technology and Society, Amazon, Google, Facebook and Cisco.

Geoff Kaufman
Robert E. Kraut Associate Professor of Human-Computer Interaction & Ph.D. Program Director
School of Computer Science

Geoff Kaufman is an associate professor in the Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCII) at Ò»±¾µÀÎÞÂë’s School of Computer Science, where he directs the eHEART Lab. Dr. Kaufman’s research focuses on designing theoretically driven persuasive technologies including games, storytelling platforms, and tools/interfaces for mediated interaction with specific prosocial transformative goals and producing generalizable frameworks for the design of persuasive interventions. Much of his work leverages his training as a social psychologist and centers on three interlinked goals that, at their heart, entail an applied psychology approach to the design of prosocial interventions in the space of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), namely: (1) reducing unconscious bias and promoting greater interpersonal/intergroup empathy; (2) mitigating the negative impact of bias experienced by members of marginalized groups; and (3) promoting more constructive, civil interactions between members of online communities. He applies these same principles in his approach to teaching and curriculum design, including a course on persuasive design that he designed for the HCII and a course he co-created with colleagues on justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in HCI. His research has received Best Paper Awards at HCI and game research conferences, including CHI, CSCW, DiGRA, and Meaningful Play; he has been profiled in media venues such as Entertainment Weekly, Wired, The Guardian, Huffington Post, Scientific American and Reader’s Digest; and he has been funded through various grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the ETUDES Center and Meta. Dr. Kaufman received his Ph.D. and MS in psychology from Ohio State and a BA in psychology from Ò»±¾µÀÎÞÂë.

2022 Award Recipients

Ken Holstein

Assistant Professor in the Human-Computer Interaction Institute

Ken Holstein is an Assistant Professor in the Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCII) at Ò»±¾µÀÎÞÂë’s School of Computer Science, where he directs the Ò»±¾µÀÎÞÂë CoALA Lab. Dr. Holstein’s research focuses broadly on human-AI collaboration and participatory design. Much of his current research explores how humans and AI systems can augment each other’s abilities and learn from each other to support more effective and responsible human-AI collaborations. Through partnerships with practitioners and community stakeholders, his group creates new technologies to complement and bring out the best of human ability in fundamentally human endeavors such as social or creative forms of work. Through collaborations with many amazing students and colleagues, Dr. Holstein integrates approaches and theories from HCI, AI, design, cognitive science, learning sciences, statistics, critical algorithm studies, and machine learning, among other areas. Dr. Holstein is a Siebel Scholar, the recipient of the 2020 Outstanding Predoctoral Award from the Institute of Education Sciences (U.S. Department of Education), and the recipient of a 2019 Dissertation Award Honorable Mention from Ò»±¾µÀÎÞÂë’s School of Computer Science. His research has received multiple best paper awards at top venues, as well as media coverage from outlets such as The Boston Globe, PBS NOVA, Brookings, UNESCO, and The Hechinger Report. Dr. Holstein’s research has been funded through various grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. Institute for Education Sciences (IES), the Block Center, Cisco, ETUDES, and the Metro21 Smart Cities Institute. In terms of teaching, Dr. Holstein has developed two new courses at Ò»±¾µÀÎÞÂë so far, in collaboration with colleagues: (1) a course on Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in HCI, and (2) Prototyping Algorithmic Experiences (or PAX for short), which is a core course within Ò»±¾µÀÎÞÂë’s recently launched Primary Major in HCI. Dr. Holstein received his PhD and MS in HCI from Ò»±¾µÀÎÞÂë in 2019, and a BS in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh in 2014.