The Department of Human-Centered Computing, in the IU School of Informatics and Computing at IUPUI, welcomes 6 new full-time faculty to the growing academic programs at the forefront of innovation in teaching and research in informatics. “We are very proud to see these excellent researchers and instructors join our faculty rank,” said Davide Bolchini, Department Chair. Thanks to their contribution in research and teaching, students will have the opportunity to be exposed to new, cutting-edge research and professional areas in Human-Computer Interaction and Media Arts and Science.
Dr. Erin Brady, Assistant Professor – Human-Computer Interaction.
Erin received her Ph.D., in Computer Science from the University of Rochester.
Before coming to IUPUI, Erin was a research assistant at University of Rochester, and a visiting researcher at Carnegie Mellon University. During her graduate study, she secured a professional internship at Google in Mountain View where she worked to improve the web accessibility of one of their projects, and a research internship at Microsoft Research India in Bangalore.
Dr. Brady’s research is focused around accessibility and disability, and how they interact with technology and social media. Her recent work focuses on building tools that allow people with disabilities to crowdsource assistance in near-realtime when they encounter an inaccessible situation.
Contact Erin at: brady@iu.edu
Dr. Francesco Cafaro, Assistant Professor – Human-Computer Interaction
Francesco earned his Ph.D. and master’s degrees in Computer Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and master’s degree in Engineering of Computing Systems from Politecnico di Milano (Italy).
Before joining Indiana University, Dr. Cafaro was a research assistant at the Learning Technology Group (Electronic Visualization Laboratory) of the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he served as a key collaborator on multi-disciplinary, federally funded research projects. These efforts have resulted in novel prototype interactive exhibits for collaborative data exploration, first at the Jane Addams Hull House in Chicago, and then at the New York Hall of Science in Queens.
Dr. Cafaro’s research investigates how theories from learning, cognitive, and computer sciences can provide the scaffolding for the design of intuitive, embodied interactions.
Contact Francesco at: fcafaro@iu.edu
Jacob Dobson, Lecturer – Media Arts and Science
Jacob received his B.F.A. from Brigham Young University and went on to New York Academy of Art in Manhattan to receive his M.F.A.
He has a background in ceramics and the figure and has had the pleasure of working with renowned artists like Vincent Desiderio, Robert Taplin and Wade Schuman.
He most recently taught Sculpture, Life Drawing, and Art History at the Art Institute of Indianapolis. Now at IUPUI he is teaching design techniques including digital imagery, media design, storyboarding, planning and organization of scripts using current technology.
Contact Jacob at: dobson@iu.edu
Lynn Dombrowski, Acting Assistant Professor – Human-Computer Interaction
Lynn attended the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences at the University of California, Irvine where she completed her Ph.D.
Lynn studies, designs, and prototypes human-centered technologies to examine and promote social justice. Her work contributes to the fields of human-computer interaction, ubiquitous computing, and design. She has authored several articles and papers, most recently about Disclosure, Stress, and Support During Gender Transition on Facebook and Community –Centered Practices in a Virtual World Dedicated to Children with Autism.
Contact Lynn at: lsdombro@iu.edu
Michael Frontz, Visiting Lecturer – Informatics
Michael received a B.S. in Biology from Oakland University before earning a M.S. in Human-Computer Interaction from IUPUI.
Early in his career, he was a science teacher at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis. He then went on to work at CTB/McGraw-Hill Education, designing and developing standards-based content for K-12 science assessments. During this time, he worked on assessment programs with numerous state and district education agencies across the United States, as well as an international contract with Qatar. Most recently at CTB, he led the development of the science content for a new national high school equivalency exam used by numerous states, including Indiana.
At IUPUI, he serves as one of the lead faculty in the innovative iDEW project and teaches human-computer interaction undergraduate courses in the informatics program.
Contact Michael at: mfrontz@iu.edu
John King, Lecturer – Media Arts and Science
John earned his first M.A. from Ohio University in 2000 and since then has obtained 2 more Master of Art degrees in Information and Communication Sciences as well as English.
He has studied improv and comedy writing at The Second City as well as developed an intermediate screenwriting course and helped facilitate the culture of storytelling at Ball State.
He most recently co-wrote, edited, and refined the story, script, and chat maps for “Hero’s Horizon,” an educational video game produced in Ball State’s Integrated Learning Institute (iLearn) for at-risk youth in impoverished areas of South America and the developing world.
At IUPUI, John teaches introductory and intermediate courses in video production and digital storytelling in the Media Arts and Science program.
Contact John at: jcking22@iu.edu
Rodney Smith, Lecturer – Media Arts and Science
Rodney received a M.A. in Telecommunications from Ball State University in 2008.
Prior to completing his graduate degree, Rodney founded Da Capo Productions, a multimedia production company. He also worked in quality control at Walt Disney Records, and he was a mastering engineer with Cinram, Inc.
At IUPUI Rodney instructs in all areas of digital audio and video production in the Media Arts and Science program.
Contact Rodney at: smithrom@iu.edu
Media Contact
Joanne Lovrinic
jebehele@iu.edu
317-278-9208