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
Wildlab
The Wildlab explores how technology can be biased against people who are unlike those who created it — and to build systems that help designers, developers, and researchers better support the needs and perspectives of different people.
UW Reality Lab
The UW Reality Lab advances the state of the art in virtual and augmented reality by developing new technologies and applications, educating the next generation of researchers and technologists, and supporting robust collaborations with industry.
Allen School Faculty
Professor
Associate Professor
Assistant Teaching Professor
Associate Teaching Professor
Centers & Initiatives
DFab is a network of researchers, educators, industry partners, and community members advancing the field of digital fabrication at UW and in the greater Seattle region.
The Community-Engaged Computing Initiative (CECI) is a joint initiative to support community-centered scholarship and research within the broad computing and information field. Co-led by the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, the Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering, and the Information School, the initiative was launched in 2025 through a gift from Google. CECI supports projects that bring UW faculty and graduate students together with community partners to bring sustainable, equitable, and inclusive technology into real-world contexts.
Highlights
Allen School News
In the latest installment of a Q&A series exploring grand challenges in computing, professors Franziska Roesner and Sewoong Oh discuss how they and their colleagues aim to develop a safer, more secure and privacy-preserving future through technologies that better serve people and society.
UW News
Allen School Ph.D. student Yael Eiger and professor Franziska Roesner discuss their research examining people’s experiences with technology during and after incarceration and the broader impacts of technology used for policing and post-release monitoring.
Allen School News
In their 2017 paper, Roesner and her co-authors were among the first to investigate end-user security and privacy perspectives on then-emerging smart home technologies and recommend ways to help users make more informed security decisions.