News
Tue, 06/11/2024
Graduation Address to the class of 2024 by Trish Millines Dziko
Trish Millines Dziko, Co-founder and Executive Director of the Technology Access Foundation, delivered the 2024 graduation address for the Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering. View the address here.
Wed, 05/22/2024
Designing for 21st century challenges: Microsoft support drives HCDE innovation in design education
In a world facing complex challenges like climate change, how can design and engineering education evolve to meet these demands? This question lies at the heart of a pioneering partnership between Microsoft and HCDE. Together, they are reimagining design education to prepare the next generation of designers to tackle the greatest challenges of our time.
Tue, 05/21/2024
Shana Hirsch, Cayla Key, and Emily Tseng join the HCDE Faculty
HCDE is pleased to announce the addition of three new faculty members: Dr. Shana Lee Hirsch, Cayla Key, and Emily Tseng. Together, their expertise enhances the department's focus in strategic areas such as environmental science and sociotechnical change, inclusive design and ethics, and equitable computing and social responsibility
Tue, 05/14/2024
HCDE Professor Kate Starbird receives UW Faculty Lecture Award
HCDE Associate Professor Kate Starbird is recognized in the 54th annual University of Washington Awards of Excellence with the University Faculty Lecture Award. As part of this honor, Professor Starbird will deliver a campus-wide lecture about her research in the 2024-2025 academic year.
Tue, 05/14/2024
HCDE design jam explores the future of AI-powered design work
In an HCDE Design Jam led by PhD student Pitch Sinlapanuntakul and Professor Mark Zachry, students and mentors from Adobe explored AI-powered tools to support design work.
Wed, 05/01/2024
Virtual reality environment for teens may offer an accessible, affordable way to reduce stress
Working with teens, UW researchers, including HCDE's Elin Björling and Jennifer Sonney from UW Nursing, have designed RESeT: a snowy virtual world with six activities intended to improve mood. In a 3-week study of 44 Seattle-area teens, researchers found that most used the technology about twice a week without being prompted and reported lower stress levels after using the environment.
Wed, 05/01/2024
HCDE at CHI 2024
UW HCDE has strong presence at the 2024 Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI), the premier international conference on Human-Computer Interaction. HCDE researchers contributed to 20 papers, including one selected for the Best Paper Award recognition and two selected for Best Paper Honorable Mention recognition.
Tue, 04/30/2024
HCDE students Sourojit Ghosh & Austin Lee named to Husky 100
Human Centered Design & Engineering students Sourojit Ghosh and Austin Lee are named to the 2024 cohort of the Husky 100. This program annually recognizes 100 students across the UW's three campuses for making the most of their time at UW through their work and extracurricular achievements.
Mon, 04/15/2024
HCDE students explore new interactions between humans and robots
Robots are increasingly becoming a part of our daily lives at home, at work, and even in public spaces. But do people want to interact with them? Are they addressing real human needs? In a new course on Human-Robot Interaction, Dr. Elin Björling led HCDE graduate students to discover new use cases for social robots that can address modern challenges.
Sun, 03/24/2024
HCDE Professor Kate Starbird appears on 60 Minutes
HCDE Associate Professor Kate Starbird appeared in a segment of 60 minutes that aired on March 24, 2024, about the right of free speech on social media platforms—an issue currently under discussion by the US Supreme Court.