Contact Information: oshaer at wellesley.edu // Wellesley College, MA
Biography
Orit Shaer is a 2026-27 Fellow at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. She is Associate Provost for Wellesley in the World, Michael and Denise Kellen ’68 Chair in the Sciences, and Professor of Computer Science at Wellesley College, where she founded 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 interaction, virtual and augmented reality, and tangible and embodied interaction. Current projects investigate how AI can become a partner in creative expression, how intelligent systems can support emergency responders making split-second decisions in the field, and how emerging technologies can support wellbeing and productivity for knowledge workers. 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 provides conceptual and pragmatic tools for weaving the animating fires of computation and technology into evocative tangible forms.
Shaer is a Senior Member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and a recipient of National Science Foundation (NSF) and industry awards including the NSF CAREER Award, the Agilent Technologies Research Award, and the Google App Engine Education Award. At Wellesley she was awarded the Pinanski Prize for Excellence in Teaching. Shaer has served on dozens of program committees, editorial boards, and review panels, including the NSF Division of Computing and Communication Foundations, ACM CHI, CSCW, UIST, and TEI conferences, and the editorial boards of ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction (ToCHI) and Foundations and Trends in Human-Computer Interaction. She is a co-founder of CHIWORK, a conference on human-computer interaction for the future of work, and co-chairs ACM TEI 2027. Shaer received her PhD and MSc in Computer Science from Tufts University.
Videos
News
July 2026, visited CYENS Centre of Excellence, a research and Innovation hub specializing in Interactive Media, Smart Systems, and Emerging Technologies where I serve as an affiliated senior researcher.
June 2026, our paper From 911 to Hospital: Challenges and Opportunities for AI Integration in Emergency Medical Services, was presented in CHIWork 2026.
March 2026, three demos from the Wellesley HCI Lab were accepted to ACM IUI - Intelligent User Interfaces conference and now available in the ACM Digital Library, exploring how AI can support human creativity and inquiry across sensing, ideation, and evaluation.
January 2026, excited to co-chair (with Augusto Esteves) the ACM Conference on Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction (TEI) 2027 in Lisbon Portugal.
August 2025, new paper on Equipping Students to Tackle the Sociotechnical Challenges of AI-Powered Pervasive Computing.
June 2025, new paper on Fanfiction in the Age of AI: Community Perspectives on Creativity, Authenticity and Adoption.
January 2025, co-organizing the 6th Workshop on Human-AI Co-Creation with Generative Models. Read the report.
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