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
Behavioral Data Science Group
The Behavioral Data Science Group leverages large-scale behavioral data to extract actionable insights about our lives, health and happiness by combining techniques from data science, social network analysis, and natural language processing.
Interactive Data Lab
The Interactive Data Lab aims to enhance people’s ability to understand and communicate data through the design of new interactive systems for data visualization and analysis.
Allen School Faculty
Professor
Professor & Interim Director
Associate Professor (Arriving January 2027)
Professor
Centers & Initiatives
Globe.AI is a multidisciplinary community of researchers at the University of Washington who aim to create equitable, responsive AI technologies that can adapt to individuals from diverse cultures and communities, including to different norms, languages, behaviors, and communication styles.
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
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.
UW News
To help shed light over safety and security concerns with current AI systems, UW News spoke with researchers including professors Franziska Roesner and Noah A. Smith.