Hi! I am a second-year Assistant Professor at the University of Cincinnati’s School of Information Technology. I was a postdoctoral scholar at Vanderbilt University’s Department of Computer Science, advised by Dr. Pamela J. Wisniewski in 2025. I completed my Ph.D. in Informatics (Human-Computer Interaction) at Pennsylvania State University’s College of Information Sciences and Technology in 2024, advised by Dr. Yubo Kou.
Research Interests
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Social Computing
- Online Safety / Human-Centered Security
- AI for Mental Health
- Technology for Special Cognitive Needs
My Research
I design, develop, and evaluate various AI technologies that support the safety and well-being of youth, families, and other vulnerable populations.
More specifically, my work focuses on (1) children and adolescents, (2) parents and caregivers, and (3) autistic people and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
Responsible AI for Youth and Families
I study how platforms, AI systems, and policies can better protect young people and families, from social media safety features and parental mediation to teen risk detection, age assurance, and adolescents’ use of conversational AI.
CSCW ’26 · CHI ’26 · CHI ’25 · IDC ’26 · PsyArXiv ’26 · arXiv ’26 · arXiv ’26
AI for Mental Health and Well-Being
I study how people turn to conversational AI for mental health support and companionship, and what makes that support safe.
WWW ’26 · CHI ’26 · Interactive Health ’26 · arXiv ’26 · arXiv ’26
Exploring Embodied AI
I am beginning to explore embodied AI, studying how people reason about social robots and how robot companions for children can be designed safely.
Youth Online Safety + Platform Governance (PhD and postdoc work)
I studied how platforms govern content and creators and how they keep young people safe, from creator moderation and child safety labels on YouTube to teens’ privacy and safety on social media.
CHI ’26 · CSCW ’25 · IDC ’25 · DIS ’24 · CHI ’24 · CSCW ’24 · CSCW ’23 · CSCW ’23 · CHI ’23 · CHI ’23 · CSCW ’22 · CSCW ’22 · CSCW ’21
Experience
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Assistant Professor (second year) University of Cincinnati’s School of Information Technology August 2025 – Present · Cincinnati |
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Postdoctoral Scholar Vanderbilt University’s Department of Computer Science October 2024 – July 2025 · Tennessee |
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Doctoral Researcher Pennsylvania State University’s College of Information Sciences and Technology August 2020 – August 2024 · Pennsylvania |
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User Experience (UX) Research Intern Meta/WhatsApp May 2023 – August 2023 · California |
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UX Research Intern SiriusXM/Pandora May 2022 – August 2022 · Remote |
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Research Assistant Syracuse University March 2019 – April 2020 · Syracuse |