Human Centered Design & Engineering

Distinguished Lecture with Laura Forlano

Dr. Laura Forlano delivered HCDE's 2026 Distinguished Lecture, Designing Consequences: On Living Well with Machines. Drawing on her own “disabled cyborg” life and nearly two decades of research spanning design, critical disability studies, critical computing, and critical pedagogy, Forlano explored the social consequences of technology design and posed a broader provocation about who gets to decide what it means to be human — and who we will become as a species.

HCDE Research Showcase recap

The 2026 HCDE Research Showcase brought together researchers, students, alumni, and community partners for an evening of lightning talks, research posters, and interactive demos highlighting ongoing work across the department.

Zahra Jamal Hassan in Husky 100

HCDE undergraduate Zahra Jamal Hassan has been named to the 2026 Husky 100, a UW recognition honoring students who demonstrate leadership, service, and meaningful impact. Hassan’s work centers on expanding access to engineering and supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion through community-centered outreach.

PhD students awarded NSF Fellowships

First-year HCDE PhD students Hanna Barakat, Matthew Bilik, and Jessica Jarratt have been awarded prestigious fellowships through the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program. Their work explores topics ranging from AI policy and technology infrastructure to environmental contaminants and community-driven science.