I am currently Chief Robot Whisperer at Savioke, where we are creating easy-to-use robots for the services industry. I have a blend of skills in diverse areas including HCI, machine learning, design, and robotics.
Formerly, I was a research scientist at Willow Garage where I developed simple, usable interfaces to robots.
Before that, I was a research staff member and manager at IBM Research -- Almaden in San Jose, CA. I led the Smarter Web research group within Almaden's Computer Science department.
I completed my PhD at the University of Washington's Department of CS&E in 2001. My thesis advisors were Dan Weld and Pedro Domingos.
My research goal is to develop innovative interfaces for enhancing human productivity and creativity through the use of techniques drawn from human-computer interaction and artificial intelligence. For more information about my research, see my research page.
I am also active in activities to increase the participation of women in computer science research. I sit on the board of the CRA-W, the CRA's committee on the status of women in computing research, and have played several organizational roles in the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing.
Professional activities
- Program Committee (associate chair), UIST 2012
- Associate Chair, CHI 2012
- Associate Chair, INTERACT 2011 Short Papers track
- Co-Chair, Birds of a Feather Track, Grace Hopper 2011
- Co-Chair, Career Mentoring Workshop, Labs track (CRA-W CMW-L 2011, San Jose, CA, June 4-5, 2011)
- Treasurer and Registration chair, IUI 2011
- Chair, Career Mentoring Workshop, Labs track (CRA-W CMW-L 2009)
- Co-chair, New Investigators Track, GHC 2009
- Registration chair, UIST 2009
- Treasurer, IUI 2009
- Publicity chair, CHI 2009
- Registration chair, UIST 2008
- Senior Program Committee member, AAAI 2008
- Board member, CRA-W (Committee on the status of women in computing research), 2007-present
- Invited Technical Talks co-chair, Grace Hopper 2008
- Program co-chair, IUI 2007
- Publicity chair, IUI 2006
- Short papers co-chair, IUI 2005
- Registration chair, IUI 2004
- Ongoing reviewer for IUI, AAAI, IJCAI, ICML, UIST, CHI
Awards
- 2010 New Media / IT Leadership Award, Women of Color STEM Conference
- ACM Senior Member