Experience
I am a PhD candidate at UIUC studying HCI, human-AI interaction, and accessibility — mostly through co-design with blind and low-vision communities, with stints in industry research along the way.
Education
PhD in Computer Science
Certificate in Information Accessibility Design and Policy
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Advisor: Dr. JooYoung Seo
08/2022 – 12/2027 (expected)
BS Computer Science + Crop Sciences
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
2017 – 2021
Experience
Professional
Conducting mixed-methods research on last-mile delivery robots — who their signals and cues actually work for, and who they leave behind.
- Conducting accessibility testing (user interviews, prototype reviews, and compatibility assessments) for clients across the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.
- Partnering with cross-functional teams to translate findings into prioritized recommendations for inclusive design.
- Conducted comparative thematic analysis across disabled and non-disabled survey respondents to characterize differential experiences with AI systems.
- Identified key accessibility gaps and designed evidence-based interventions.
- Designed and implemented a Slack app with two other interns using Python, SQLAlchemy, and Kubernetes that allows users to manually archive older Jira projects and automatically archive them by a given date.
- Collaborated with a team of four externs in a product design competition, implementing a data-driven solution to reduce plastic used in L'Oréal product packaging.
Research
QUARTZ (Qualitative Understanding via Accessible Representation and VisualiZation)
- Leading user research to understand barriers in qualitative data visualization, conducting 15+ co-design sessions.
- Designing user study protocols, including survey instruments, semi-structured interview protocols, and task-based usability testing.
- Managing global participant recruitment via BLV advocacy networks (e.g., World Blind Union).
Re-Imagining Knowledge Production Workflows by, with, and for BLV Researchers
- Led a mixed-methods global study with BLV researchers (survey n = 57; interviews n = 15) using activity theory to examine research tool barriers.
- Synthesized findings through reflexive thematic analysis to develop systemic design recommendations across literature review, analysis, and dissemination.
LLM Fine-Tuning for Accessibility Applications
- Fine-tuning large language models on distributed GPU clusters to develop accessibility-focused AI solutions for assistive technologies.
Accessible Extended Reality (XR) Co-Design
- Co-designed PunchPulse, an accessible VR boxing game with a five-person mixed-abilities team using the RITE framework over 16 weeks.
Multimodal LLM-Based Data Visualization (MAIDR)
- Collaborated with eight developers and three researchers to build, refine, and advance MAIDR, a multimodal AI-driven system for accessible data visualization.
YouTube Influencer Ads and Privacy Promises
- Led large-scale quantitative analysis of 300M YouTube influencer privacy technology advertisements, identifying top-advertised products and consumer misinformation risks.
Smart Home Data Collection Consent Dynamics
- Co-led mixed-methods analysis of a 360-participant survey examining consent dynamics in smart home environments, revealing 84% of users experienced consent violations.
- Developed stakeholder-specific recommendations for consentful smart home ecosystems.
Food Bank Marketplace Mobile App
- Developed the initial software design specification for a mobile app to help food banks procure fresh produce from farmers at reduced cost, aiming to reduce food waste and insecurity.
Proximal Process Goal Accomplishment
- Researched methodologies and visualizations to help individuals accomplish proximal process goals achievable in a short amount of time.
Webcam-Based Eye Tracking in ClassTranscribe
- Investigated challenges of webcam-based eye tracking and an implementation in ClassTranscribe using WebGazer, a React.js-based framework developed by Brown University.
Computerized Exam for Computer Architecture
- Designed, implemented, and deployed a computerized, multi-part exam on pipelining and cache analysis for CS 233, taken annually by 400+ students.
- Co-authored a publication on the implications of the implementation on engineering education beyond computing.
Methods and tools
Methods: user interviews, participatory co-design, surveys, need-finding, thematic analysis, usability testing, within-subjects studies, mixed-methods analysis, stakeholder synthesis into product recommendations.
Tools: Figma, NVivo, Python, screen reader testing, multimodal prototyping (sonification, tactile graphics), qualitative and quantitative analysis workflows.
Accessibility practice: skip links, live regions, reduced-motion support, semantic HTML, and detailed alt text across this site and my research deliverables.
Selected publications
Highlights — full bibliography on Research.
Reimagines knowledge production workflows with BLV researchers as co-designers, not afterthoughts.
[C5] A Re-Imagination of Knowledge Production Workflows by, with, and for Blind and Low-Vision Researchers. CHI 2026
Multimodal system and guidelines for BLV researchers to explore qualitative visualizations independently.
[C7] QUARTZ: Qualitative Understanding via Accessible Representation and Visualization. ASSETS 2026 (to appear)
Unpacks barriers in digital mental health apps and informs inclusive DMH product design.
[C6] Unpacking The Need For Digital Mental Health Tracking Services With And For The Blind Community. ASSETS 2026 (to appear)
National report on AI use, risks, and aspirations from a disability lens (1,700+ survey respondents).
[W1] The AI Quagmire: Benefits, Risks, and Aspirations Through a Disability Lens. American Foundation for the Blind, 2026
Need-finding study translating BLV community insights into product and design priorities.
[P3] Unpacking The Need For Digital Mental Health (DMH) Tracking Services With And For The Blind Community. CHI EA 2025
Talks and presentations
Teaching and mentorship
I designed and taught — as primary instructor — an accessible high-performance computing (HPC) workshop series that introduces blind and low-vision researchers to the NCSA Delta cluster, advised by Dr. JooYoung Seo. The scaffolded, three-part curriculum is grounded in Universal Design for Learning, constructivism, and adult learning theory. I ran the first edition as a three-day series (March 30 – April 1, 2026) for 15 participants.
Teaching page →Graduate Teaching Assistant
CS 467: Social Visualization · UIUC
Spring 2024
Graduate Teaching Assistant
CS 210/211: Ethical & Professional Issues/Conduct in CS · UIUC
Fall 2023, Fall 2024
Undergraduate Course Assistant
CS 233: Computer Architecture · UIUC
Fall 2019 – Spring 2021
Undergraduate Course Assistant
CS 196-25: Freshman Honors · UIUC
Fall 2018 – Fall 2019
Undergraduate Course Assistant
CS 125: Introduction to Computer Science · UIUC
Fall 2018, Spring 2019
Mentoring: Soundarya Kumar Pradhan · UIUC MCS (2025 – Present)