Ph.D. Dissertation Defense Talk: Evaluation for Scalable and Interactive Network Visualization and Analysis
Speaker: Ameya Patil, Advisor: Leilani Battle, Supervisory Committee: Leilani Battle (Chair), Dargan M Frierson (GSR, Atmospheric Sciences), Jeffrey Heer, Kurtis L. Heimerl, Abstract: Numerous real-world connected systems and phenomena like social connections, financial transactions, transport infrastructure and power grids are effectively represented as networks. Network representation also opens up the possibility of applying graph algorithms to analyze the data, and derive insights. Accordingly, many large scale network data management and understanding solutions have been developed and evaluated over the years. However, such evaluation has sidelined the human-in-the-loop or interactive nature of network data understanding. In this thesis, I focus on the under-explored area of evaluating network data management and analysis solutions for Scalable and Interactive Network Visualization and Analysis (SINVA).
First, I perform a design study with domain experts in aquatic and fishery sciences to understand…
Thursday, July 30, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
Supporting disabled students in research: AccessComputing discussion
AccessComputing invites you to join us for an online (Zoom) community discussion about supporting disabled students in research.
We'll have an interactive discussion about the 2022 article Students with Disabilities in Life Science Undergraduate Research Experiences: Challenges and Opportunities by Gin, Pais, et al (check out the abstract below!) and how the computing community can benefit from the findings. Registrants may wish to read the paper in advance of the meeting.
Registration Required, Accommodation Note: Zoom auto captions will be enabled. For ASL, CART, or additional accommodations contact Brianna Blaser at blaser@uw.edu.
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Students with Disabilities in Life Science Undergraduate Research Experiences: Challenges and Opportunities. Gin LE, Pais D, Cooper KM, Brownell SE. CBE Life Sci Educ. 2022 Jun; 21(2): ar32.
Abstract: Individuals with disabilities are underrepresented in postsecondary science education and in science careers, yet few studies have explored why this…
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: blaser@uw.edu. Event Types: Diversity Equity Inclusion. Information Sessions. Lectures/Seminars.
Thursday, July 30, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
For more info visit washington.zoom.us. CREATE Accessibility Hackathon, Summer ‘26
Join CREATE to brainstorm ideas for an accessible future through AI.
Over two days, participants will meet as a whole and in groups, brainstorm project ideas, start to build solutions, present their ideas, and provide feedback. Lunch, snack, mentoring and support will be provided. The event will take place on the UW Seattle campus. Virtual attendance is possible for some portions of the event.
See the Hackathon web page for details and schedule.
Register now.
Event interval: Ongoing event. Campus location: Bill & Melinda Gates Center for Computer Science & Engineering (CSE2). Accessibility Contact: create-contact@uw.edu. Event Types: Diversity Equity Inclusion. Special Events. Student Activities. Workshops. Target Audience: Everyone, regardless of technical experience. People with lived experience of disability encouraged.
Friday, July 31, 2026 – Saturday, August 1, 2026.
For more info visit create.uw.edu. CREATE Accessibility Hackathon, Summer ‘26
Join CREATE to brainstorm ideas for an accessible future through AI.
Over two days, participants will meet as a whole and in groups, brainstorm project ideas, start to build solutions, present their ideas, and provide feedback. Lunch, snack, mentoring and support will be provided. The event will take place on the UW Seattle campus. Virtual attendance is possible for some portions of the event.
See the Hackathon web page for details and schedule.
Register now.
Event interval: Ongoing event. Campus location: Bill & Melinda Gates Center for Computer Science & Engineering (CSE2). Accessibility Contact: create-contact@uw.edu. Event Types: Diversity Equity Inclusion. Special Events. Student Activities. Workshops. Target Audience: Everyone, regardless of technical experience. People with lived experience of disability encouraged.
Saturday, August 1, 2026.
For more info visit create.uw.edu. Accessibility, Ethics & AI - Teach Access panel discussion
Teach Access Alumni Network's moderated panel discussion about Accessibility, Ethics, & AI, Register to attend
All three panelists recently contributed chapters to Digital Accessibility Ethics: Disability Inclusion in All Things Tech, published earlier this year.
Ariana Aboulafia, Disability Rights in Technology Policy Project at the Center for Democracy & Technolog, Jutta Treviranus, Director of the Inclusive Design Research Centre (IDRC) and Professor in the Faculty of Design at OCAD University in Toronto, Rolando Méndez, Director of Education, Teach Access.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: info@teachaccess.org. Event Types: Conferences. Diversity Equity Inclusion.
Wednesday, August 5, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
For more info visit events.zoom.us. Ph.D. Dissertation Defense Talk: Designing AI Information Artifacts for Teams
Speaker: Ruotong Wang, Advisor: Amy X Zhang, Supervisory Committee: Amy Xian Zhang (Chair), Gary Hsieh (GSR, Human Centered Design and Engineering), Tim Althoff, James Fogarty, Abstract: Collaborative teams increasingly rely on information artifacts such as notes, recordings, recaps, and recommendations to stay aligned and coordinate work. Yet accurate and clear information, in itself, is inadequate to support collaboration. In this dissertation, I demonstrate that information artifacts designed as representations situated within ongoing collaborative activity, rather than as containers of information alone, can advance collaboration by maintaining its continuity. As generative AI that is capable of synthesizing, reshaping, and proactively surfacing information takes on a growing role in producing these information artifacts, situating them well becomes both more consequential and more difficult.
I developed this thesis through three lines of work. First, through design explorations of Meeting Bridges and…
Thursday, August 6, 2026, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM.
Ph.D. Dissertation Defense Talk: Towards Human-AI Symbiotic Spatial Perception
Speaker: Xia Su, Advisor: Jon E Froehlich, Supervisory Committee: JON E FROEHLICH (Chair), Jacob O. Wobbrock (GSR, Information School), Ranjay Krishna, Yang Zhang (UCLA), Abstract: Artificial intelligence has become an indispensable part of digital life. People routinely use AI to write, program, search, summarize, and make decisions. Yet this emerging human-AI symbiosis remains concentrated in the digital realm, where people work with language through digital devices. It is far less developed in the physical world, where people navigate and act under real stakes. People must still move through unfamiliar places, manipulate objects, assess risks, and make decisions using their own situated perception, time, and effort.
This limitation does not arise from a lack of AI research on the physical world. Over several decades, computer vision, robotics, augmented reality, and embodied AI have produced systems that recognize objects, reconstruct environments, navigate, plan motion, and increasingly predict how…
Monday, August 10, 2026, 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM.
Ph.D. Dissertation Defense Talk: Toward Generalist Ophthalmic Intelligence Through Scalable Multimodal Representation Learning
Speaker: Zucks Liu, Advisors: Linda G Shapiro, Sheng Wang, Supervisory Committee: Linda G Shapiro (Chair), Sheng Wang (Chair), John C Kramlich (GSR, Mechanical Engineering), SIMON S DU, Jenq-Neng Hwang (Electrical and Computer Engineering), Abstract TBA.
Thursday, August 20, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.
Instruction Ends - Summer 2026 - Full and B-term
Dates of Instruction
Instruction ends.
Event interval: Single day event. Year: 2026. Quarter: Summer. Event Types: Academics.
Friday, August 21, 2026.
For more info visit www.washington.edu. Quarter Break - Autumn 2026
Dates of Instruction
Break between summer and autumn quarters.
Event interval: Ongoing event. Year: 2026. Quarter: Autumn. Event Types: Academics.
Saturday, August 22, 2026 – Tuesday, September 29, 2026.
For more info visit www.washington.edu. Labor Day
Holidays
No classes. Most University offices and buildings are closed. Check with specific offices to confirm.
Event interval: Single day event. Year: 2026. Quarter: Autumn. Event Types: Academics.
Monday, September 7, 2026.
For more info visit www.washington.edu. Virtual Ph.D. Information Session
The Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering Ph.D. Program at the University of Washington is a full-time, research-intensive doctoral program that prepares students to become leaders in academia, industry, and research. Ph.D. students work closely with world-renowned faculty on groundbreaking research across a wide range of computer science and computer engineering disciplines while receiving comprehensive financial support, including tuition, health insurance, and a competitive stipend throughout the program.
Our virtual information session is a convenient opportunity for prospective students to learn more about the Allen School Ph.D. Program and connect directly with a panel of current graduate students, and admissions staff. We will provide an overview of the program, research opportunities, funding, student life, and the admissions process, along with practical guidance for preparing a competitive application. Whether you are considering applying this year or planning for a future applicat…
Event interval: Single day event. Online Meeting Link: https://washington.zoom.us/meeting/register/0PhxpWdjQSaz0S92rShaQg#/registration. Accessibility Contact: grad-admissions@cs.washington.edu. Event Types: Academics. Information Sessions. Target Audience: Applicants.
Monday, September 14, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
Zoom.
For more info visit www.cs.washington.edu. Information Session: Professional Master's in Computer Science
Click here to register for the session!
The Allen School’s Professional Master’s Program (PMP) is a part-time program designed for software professionals in the Puget Sound region interested in acquiring critical skills to move into positions and projects of greater responsibility and impact. Courses meet one weekday evening per week and are taught in-person on the UW Seattle campus.
Online information sessions are a low-barrier opportunity for prospective students to learn more about the PMP and ask questions directly to program staff. We will share information about PMP courses and learning outcomes and an overview of the application process, including tips for preparing your materials. We hope you will join us!
Event interval: Single day event. Online Meeting Link: https://washington.zoom.us/meeting/register/s-JzzqWOTAyCx4f1Huaepg. Accessibility Contact: masters@cs.washington.edu. Event Types: Academics. Information Sessions.
Tuesday, September 22, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Zoom.
For more info visit www.cs.washington.edu. Instruction Begins - Autumn 2026
Dates of Instruction
Instruction begins.
Event interval: Single day event. Year: 2026. Quarter: Autumn. Event Types: Academics.
Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
For more info visit www.washington.edu. Information Session: Professional Master's in Computer Science
Click here to register for the session!
The Allen School’s Professional Master’s Program (PMP) is a part-time program designed for software professionals in the Puget Sound region interested in acquiring critical skills to move into positions and projects of greater responsibility and impact. Courses meet one weekday evening per week and are taught in-person on the UW Seattle campus.
Online information sessions are a low-barrier opportunity for prospective students to learn more about the PMP and ask questions directly to program staff. We will share information about PMP courses and learning outcomes and an overview of the application process, including tips for preparing your materials. We hope you will join us!
Event interval: Single day event. Online Meeting Link: https://washington.zoom.us/meeting/register/s-JzzqWOTAyCx4f1Huaepg. Accessibility Contact: masters@cs.washington.edu. Event Types: Academics. Information Sessions.
Thursday, October 15, 2026, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM.
Zoom.
For more info visit www.cs.washington.edu. Information Session: Professional Master's in Computer Science
Click here to register for the session!
The Allen School’s Professional Master’s Program (PMP) is a part-time program designed for software professionals in the Puget Sound region interested in acquiring critical skills to move into positions and projects of greater responsibility and impact. Courses meet one weekday evening per week and are taught in-person on the UW Seattle campus.
Online information sessions are a low-barrier opportunity for prospective students to learn more about the PMP and ask questions directly to program staff. We will share information about PMP courses and learning outcomes and an overview of the application process, including tips for preparing your materials. We hope you will join us!
Event interval: Single day event. Online Meeting Link: https://washington.zoom.us/meeting/register/s-JzzqWOTAyCx4f1Huaepg. Accessibility Contact: masters@cs.washington.edu. Event Types: Academics. Information Sessions.
Wednesday, October 28, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Zoom.
For more info visit www.cs.washington.edu.