Research Themes

About | Research Projects | Creative Practice | Teaching

During my professional and academic career, I have been engaged in several inter-related research directions which I have continued to nurture and expand in compelling ways at Aalto University since joining the faculty in March 2020. My research work combines my interests and expertise in human-centred interaction for ethical design of inclusive computational systems for wider societal impact.

Ethical AI for Data Urbanism, Crisis Informatics and Civic Agency
Designing Auditory Interaction and Conversational AI Systems
Participatory Digital Learning and Inclusive Algorithmic Literacy

Each of these topics are related to the newly formed research areas in the Department of Computer Science: 1) Digital Ethics, Society and Policy (Digital ESP), 2) Human-Computer Interaction and Design (HCID), and 3) Computing Education Research and Educational Technology (CER-ET).

These topics build on my expertise in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), ethical AI, speech and auditory interaction, open collaborative design, critical learning, Participatory Action Research (PAR), and socially-engaged practices with civil society. I have conducted research projects in these areas at the GVU Center at the Georgia Institute of Technology, MIT Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, The New School, and various research labs and technology startups in the U.S. and Europe over the past 25-30 years. At Aalto University I continue to advance impactful research in these areas through my newly formed research group, CRAI-CIS (Critical AI and Crisis Interrogatives). My vision is to establish a nexus of transdisciplinary international research at Aalto University, critically examining the contestations in digital ethics and designing inclusive human-centered AI systems, in partnership with the public sector and civil society.

My intellectual identity has been shaped by an unconventional trajectory spanning science-technology, media-arts and cultural studies, and international human rights advocacy. The crucial shifts and accomplishments along the way were only possible with the guidance and mentorship of many scholars, practitioners and collaborators (including my students). This digital portfolio provides a glimpse into the ongoing transdisciplinary approach and critical ethos emerging in my research, teaching and creative practice.

See Published Works | Creative Practice | Exhibits & Curatorial Works

Some video interviews:

Can Documentaries Create Sensory Experiences?
November 2, 2016

Critical Pedagogy at The New School
September 7, 2012

Citizen Digital and Urban Activism in Russia
July 20, 2012

Designing Participatory Learning, Mobility Shifts
November 22, 2011