Papers

Check out my Google Scholar Page for the most updated and complete records of publications :)

Our paper “Finding a Place to Belong: Barriers and Solutions for Supporting Trans People of Color on Reddit” has been accepted to CSCW2025! In this study, we focused on transgender people of color (TPOC), a community that often faces exclusion in predominantly white trans spaces, both online and offline, due to transnormative standards and racial marginalization. Analyzing almost 4000 Reddit comments and posts across major trans subreddits, we discuss ways to design for more inclusive online communities that center TPOC voices and foster stronger connections. Stay tuned for the official ACM page for the full PDF!

Abstract: Historically, transgender people of color (TPOC) have been silenced in white trans spaces for not fitting into transnormativity - the typical white, binary, skinny, and privileged image of trans people, and for raising concerns related to race, culture, and ethnicity. Social media and online communities serve as supportive spaces for transgender (shortened to trans) individuals; however, trans people of color require even more support combating systematic oppression, managing increased levels of discrimination, and navigating their cultural backgrounds. In order to understand how TPOC use social media, we explore the experiences of TPOC on Reddit. We used the Reddit API to obtain Reddit posts from four prominent transgender subreddits (r/ftm, r/mtf, r/trans, and r/Non-Binary) which included the phrase "people of color" or the abbreviation "POC", resulting in a total of 145 posts and 2867 comments. Thematic analysis was then used to identify three themes of discussion – alienation, support, and existing in physical spaces, which informed our design considerations. Experiences shared in the Reddit posts indicated that TPOC feel overshadowed by white trans individuals in online communities and desire to build connections with other TPOC both online and in person. We propose design recommendations for both Reddit as a platform and subreddit moderators that regulate online trans communities to encourage growing networks among TPOC, improve communication among users and moderators, and design spaces that center POC voices within subreddits, all of which provide a much more supportive online environment for TPOC.

Our paper “The Struggle is a Part of the Experience”: Engaging Discontents in the Design of Family Meal Technologies has been accepted with minor revision to CSCW2024! This work has been on its own journey with rounds of revisions and I’m super excited to finally be able to share it with you all🎉! This paper showcases part of my dissertation on unpacking family dynamics and tensions toward family-centered design. You can also get the full PDF here.

Abstract: Meals are a central (and messy) part of family life. Previous design framings for mealtime technologies have focused on supporting dietary needs or social and celebratory interactions at the dinner table; however, family meals involve the coordination of many activities and complicated family dynamics. In this paper, we report on findings from interviews and design sessions with 18 families from the Midwestern United States (including both partners/parents and children) to uncover important family differences and tensions that arise around domestic meal experiences. Drawing on feminist theory, we unpack the work of feeding a family as a form of care, drawing attention to the social and emotional complexity of family meals. Critically situating our data within current design narratives, we propose the sensitizing concepts of generative and systemic discontents as a productive way towards troubling the design space of family-food interaction to contend with the struggles that are a part of everyday family meal experiences.

Our paper “Methods for Family-Centered Design: Bridging the Gap Between Research and Practice“ has been accepted to CHI2024! Come join us to discuss and collaborate on creating a knowledge base for family-centered design in working with families and children at our workshop in Hawaii!

Abstract: Technology is pervasive in family life. Family-centered design can enable the creation of technological solutions that align with the diverse needs of and dynamics within families. Yet, designing meaningful interactive technologies that are useful for and desired by families remains a complex and evolving challenge. Furthermore, there are limited resources in the HCI community examining theoretical, methodological, and practical processes for designing and testing technology supporting family life (e.g., interactions among parents, children, siblings, older adults). This workshop aims to bridge this gap by bringing together researchers and practitioners from interdisciplinary areas to discuss practical approaches in applying effective methods, theories, and tools for designing technology for and with families. The main goal of this workshop is to collaborate on creating a knowledge base for family-centered design. The workshop will aim to provide valuable opportunities for researchers and practitioners to grow a community, exchange insights, and share best practices.

Our Paper “Understanding fraudulence in online qualitative studies: From the researcher’s perspective“ has been accepted to CHI2024! Wonder how HCI qualitative researchers deal with fraudulent participants and the HCI research community might better improve our science and training efforts? Check it out here.

Abstract: Researchers are increasingly facilitating qualitative research studies online. While this has made research more accessible for participation, there have been notable encounters with “fraudulent” participants. By fraudulent, we refer to individuals who are deceptive about meeting the inclusion criteria, their identity, or experiences. Fraudulent participants have generated new challenges for researchers who have to interact 1:1 with these individuals, face ethical dilemmas on appropriate next steps, diagnose and prevent the issue from happening again, and deal with their own identity as a scholar. In this study, we interview 16 HCI researchers to understand and learn from their experiences. We contribute: (1) an understanding of how HCI qualitative researchers deal with fraudulent participants; (2) a guide for qualitative HCI researchers on how to handle fraudulence; and (3) a reflection on how the HCI research community might better improve our science and training efforts.

Our Paper “Designing for Everyday Family Wellness: Understanding Norms and Rituals for Supporting Family Meal Practices” has been accepted to WISH at CHI2023! Interested in how we might design for everyday family wellness through daily routines and rituals? Check this out!

Abstract: Everyday family wellness is rooted in the most ordinary, daily routines of family life. However, busy schedules and poor communication can make it difficult to enjoy such routines, even for families outside the context of a chronic condition of a family member. Examining how families organize, communicate, and collaborate around everyday family processes provides an opportunity to better understand the complexity of family dynamics and design for everyday family wellness. To do so, we used family meal practices as a window and interviewed 18 families with pre-teen children to understand how families navigate this core daily activity throughout the holistic processes of planning, purchasing, preparing, dining, and cleaning. Applying the lens of Family Development Theory, we describe the challenges and needs surrounding family meals as well as families’ strategies to facilitate meal-related interactions. We identify design opportunities to support families in communicating and constructing norms and rituals in shared experiences. Building on current findings, we aim to explore ways of designing family wellness technologies by supporting the process of norm and ritual building for families.

Our Paper “Meal Chat: Promoting Mealtime Social Interaction for College Students” has been accepted to CHI2020! Interested in how mealtime social interaction can be supported through a simple desktop prototype? Check it out here.

Abstract: Mealtimes serve important social functions in our everyday lives. Public dining spaces on college campuses are positioned to be social and engaging spaces to make new connections. With the prevalence of digital devices, technology usage introduces new dynamics into students' mealtimes. In this study, we explored the current mealtime technology usage patterns of college students and rethought the role of technology in eating. We proposed Meal Chat - a technology probe to explore the alternative role of technology during mealtimes by encouraging social interaction for students eating at on-campus public dining areas. Meal Chat aims to provide an opportunity for college students to socialize and reduce the barrier of starting mealtime socialization with a stranger. Rethinking the role of technology in mealtimes, Meal Chat seeks to prompt rather than to replace social interaction during mealtimes.