Our work in human-centered computing explores and enhances the ways in which people and communities engage with and experience technology.
Our research considers the personal, educational, cultural, and ethical implications of innovation. Drawing upon techniques from human-computer interaction, learning sciences, sensing and more, we aim to maximize the potential benefits of technology while minimizing potential harms to individuals, groups and society.
Groups & Labs
Human-Centered Robotics Lab
In the Human-Centered Robotics lab we aim to develop robotics that are useful and usable for future users of task-oriented robots.
Security and Privacy Research Lab
The Security and Privacy Research Lab works on a variety of topics, ranging from studying and addressing security and privacy risks in existing technologies, to anticipating future risks in emerging technologies.
Faculty Members
Centers & Initiatives
The interdisciplinary DUB group at the University of Washington advances research, collaboration and teaching related to the interaction between design, people, and technology.
The Transportation Data Equity Initiative (TDEI) aims to enhance the quality and accessibility of travel services by building open source data collection and vetting tools, transportation data digital infrastructure, and governance frameworks that enable public-private data sharing and interoperability. The TDEI is a project sponsored by The Complete Trip, an ITS4US Deployment Program.
Highlights
UW News
A study led by Allen School professor Tim Althoff and published in Nature offers the strongest evidence to date of the link between physical activity and the built environment.
UW News
Allen School researchers presented a study at ACL 2025 that found people who interacted with a conservative or liberal version of ChatGPT began mirroring the model’s bias in their views on a set of issues and funding priorities—regardless of their own political leanings.
Allen School News
Balazinska was elected to the WSAS, which provides scientific and technical advice to state policymakers, based on her “contributions in data management for data science, big data systems, cloud computing, and image/video analytics and leadership in data science education.”