Contact Information: oshaer at wellesley.edu //
Wellesley College, MA
Biography
Orit Shaer is Professor and co-Chair of Computer Science at Wellesley College. She found and directs the Wellesley College Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) Lab. Her research focuses on human-computer interaction for the future of work and learning, including human-AI iinteraction, virtual and augmented reality, and tangible and embodied interaction. Current projects include the design and evaluation of novel human-machine interfaces for supporting productivity and creativity in mobile work environments, and the conceptualization and prototyping of computational tools for enhancing learning and innovation in STEAM. Shaer's book "Weaving Fire into Form: Aspirations for Tangible and Embodied Interaction" (ACM Books, 2022) is the first comprehensive reference book on this emerging field. It provide wide-ranging conceptual and pragmatic tools toward weaving the animating fires of computation and technology into evocative tangible forms.
Dr Shaer is a Senior Member of the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM), and a recipient of prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) and industry awards including the prestigious NSF CAREER Award, Agilent Technologies Research Award, and Google App Engine Education Award. At Wellesley she was awarded the Pinanski Prize for Excellent Teaching. Dr Shaer has served on dozens of program committees, editorial boards, and review panels, including NSF division of Computers in Science and Engineering, ACM CHI, CSCW, UIST, and TEI conferences, and the editorial board of ACM Transaction on Computer-Human Interaction (ToCHI) and Foundations and Trends in Human Computer Interaction. Shaer is a co-founder of CHIWork- a new conference on human-computer interaction for the future of work. Shaer received her PhD and MSc in Computer Science from Tufts University.
Videos
News
September 2024, teaching a new introductory course on Sociotechnical Dimensions of Computing in the Age of AI.
June 2024, new paper on Temporal Aspects on Human-AI Collaboration for Work was published at CHIWork.
February 2024, new paper on AI-Augmented Brainwriting: Investigating the use of LLMs in group ideation was accepted to CHI 2024.
January 2024, new article on Integrating Generative Artificial Intelligence to a Project Based Tangible Interaction Course was published in IEEE Pervasive Computing.
December 2023, taught a new research seminar Advanced Projects in Interactive Media, which focused on Human-AI interaction.
November 2023, co-organized a Dagstuhl seminar on Human-AI Interaction for Work.
August 2023, graduated from the HERS Leadership Institute for higher education.
June 2023, new paper on Preparing Future Designers for Human-AI Collaboration in Persona Creation was presented at CHIWork 2023.
June 2023, sharing our reflection (with Andrew Kun) on designing an inclusive and engaging hybrid event
April 2023, new paper on Perceptions related to engaging in non-driving activities in an automated vehicle while commuting: a text mining approach
January 2023, Our paper on Virtual nature experiences and mindfulness practices while working from home during COVID-19: Effects on stress, focus, and creativity, is now available online
August 2022, published a new paper on remote evaluation of augmented reality interaction with personal health information.
July 2022, our new book "Weaving Fire into Form: Aspirations for Tangible and Embodied Interaction" (ACM Books, 2022) with Brygg Ullmer, Ali Mazalek, and Caroline Hummels, is available on the ACM Digital Library.
June 2022, new NSF International Research Exchange for Students (IRES) Award on Collaborative Research: US-German Research on Human-Automation Interaction for the Future of Work (with Andrew Kun, UNH) .
September 2021, founded together with Andrew Kun, a new symposium on Human-Computer Interaction for Work: CHIWORK
May 2021, published a new IEEE Pervasive education column titled: Teaching Tangible Interaction Remotely During COVID-19: Transcending Physical Boundaries
May 2021, taught a new course on Human-Computer Interaction in the Age of Automation