News

Mon, 04/13/2026

HCDE researchers contribute new work at CHI 2026

HCDE researchers contributed 23 papers to the 2026 ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI), including two Best Paper Award and two Honorable Mentions.

Fri, 04/10/2026

Ram Shankar Siva Kumar to deliver 2026 HCDE Graduation Address

Ram Shankar Siva Kumar, founder of the AI Red Team Microsoft, will deliver the guest address at the University of Washington Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering’s 2026 Graduation & Awards Ceremony on June 12.

Two people reviewing wireframes and interface sketches spread across a table.

Tue, 03/31/2026

HCDE impact: Closing the research–practice gap

Professor Gary Hsieh’s Prosocial Computing Group is building tools that make academic research easier for practitioners to use. From AI-powered design cards to short-form science videos, their work helps close the research–practice gap.

Cecilia Aragon stands behind a podium speaking to the room at her retirement party. A slideshow with a photo of Cecilia and a student is on the screen behind her.

Thu, 03/19/2026

Professor Cecilia Aragon reflects on her career and building the field of human-centered data science

As she retires from the Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering, Professor Cecilia Aragon reflects on helping shape the field of human-centered data science, mentoring students, what she hopes they carry forward into the future of AI, and the next chapter of her career.

Mon, 03/02/2026

Winter 2026 course showcases

Step inside HCDE classrooms at our end-of-quarter showcases. Discover student work across service design, AI, prototyping, usability research, and venture design.

Outstanding Alumni Award text over near transparent illustration of Sieg Building on a solid purple background

Thu, 02/05/2026

Call for Nominations: 2026 HCDE Outstanding Alumni Award

The Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering is accepting nominations for the 2026 HCDE Outstanding Alumni Award, which recognizes alumni whose work reflects the mission and values of our community. Nominations are open through April 1, 2026.

Wed, 01/21/2026

Professor Kate Starbird named ACM Fellow for advancing research on misinformation and information ecosystems

HCDE Professor Kate Starbird has been named an ACM Fellow, one of the highest honors in computing, for her groundbreaking research on misinformation and online information ecosystems. The honor recognizes her contributions to understanding and improving information ecosystems, including during crisis events and in addressing misinformation.

William and his teammates pose with hackathon sponsors from Meta

Mon, 01/12/2026

HCDE master’s student earns two awards at Stanford XR hackathon

HCDE master’s student William (Wang Silang) earned two awards at the Stanford XR Immerse the Bay Hackathon for a project exploring how immersive and Tangible User Interface (TUI) technologies can help people engage meaningfully and respectfully with memories of deceased loved ones.

A mentor stands speaking to a table of three students in HCDE's Design Lab classroom

Mon, 12/29/2025

Students explore wearable technology in design jam for accessibility

In Autumn quarter, HCDE welcomed students for wearABLE Futures, a fast-paced design jam focused on the question: How might we make wearable technology more accessible to all humans? Industry mentors from Ipsos, Oura, Meta, Ralytics, and Microsoft’s Inclusive Tech Lab met with student teams, offering feedback and helping students connect their ideas to real-world feasibility and impact.

Group of about 30 workshop participants, including Nadya Peek, stand outside at UW with campus buildings in the background

Wed, 12/17/2025

HCDE impact: Professor Nadya Peek on human-centered automation

HCDE Associate Professor Nadya Peek is designing open, human-centered automation tools that help scientists run more reproducible, creative, and accessible experiments. Working with collaborators across engineering, science, and fabrication, her research focuses on building flexible automation systems that can be adapted to different labs, workflows, and research questions.