Leah Pistorius
June 13, 2025
The Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering is proud to present the 2025 Mikey Award to Dr. James Landay.
Julie Kientz and James Landay at the 2025 HCDE Graduation & Awards Ceremony.
Formally known as the Myron L. White Award, the Mikey Award is named after the co-founder of the department and is given annually by HCDE faculty to a leader in the field who has been a dedicated supporter of our community.
Dr. Landay is a distinguished researcher in human-computer interaction and a professor at Stanford University, where he co-directs the Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence.
Before joining Stanford, Landay was a professor in the University of Washington’s Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering. During that time, he played a pivotal role in shaping the HCI landscape at UW by helping to establish the cross-disciplinary DUB group and championing HCDE when it was still a small, emerging department. His efforts ensured HCDE had a strong voice at the table as UW’s HCI community grew.
Landay worked closely with then-HCDE chair Judy Ramey, helped recruit exceptional faculty to the department, and created space for the kind of interdisciplinary inquiry that defines HCDE today. Large-scale collaboration can be complex but Landay excelled at building community and elevating diverse perspectives.
The HCDE faculty are deeply grateful for his advocacy, vision, and lasting contributions to our department.
Julie Kientz, Professor and Chair of Human Centered Design & Engineering, presented Dr. Landay with the Mikey Award at HCDE’s Graduation & Awards Ceremony on June 11, 2025.