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Dissertation Defense: Julie Vera, "Weatherfluencers: Trust and Collective Sensemaking in Severe Weather Livestreams"

Members of the HCDE & DUB communities are invited to attend a dissertation defense by PhD Candidate Julie Vera. Weatherfluencers: Trust and Collective Sensemaking in Severe Weather Livestreams, PhD Candidate: Julie Vera Zoom: (https://washington.zoom.us/j/99579255026) | Passcode: 632933 Abstract:During severe weather, YouTube-native content creators interpret unfolding conditions in real time, offering radar analysis and safety guidance to large audiences. These weatherfluencers operate outside the credentials, professional affiliations, and accountability structures through which the U.S. weather enterprise has historically made its expertise publicly legible. Existing work in sensemaking, trust, crisis informatics, and weather communication does not fully explain how audiences come to work with these creators. This dissertation investigates that problem through three studies of severe weather livestreams. I find that broadcast meteorologists retain advantages on trustworthiness, credibility, and… Event interval: Single day event. Online Meeting Link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/99579255026. Accessibility Contact: hcdehelp@uw.edu. Event Types: Lectures/Seminars. Event sponsors: Human Centered Design & Engineering. Thursday, May 21, 2026, 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM. Zoom.

Quick Questions Drop-In Advising: Current HCDE BS Students

Quick questions drop-in advising with our HCDE BS adviser. Note: These drop-in advising sessions are intended for quick questions and for current HCDE BS students only. Current HCDE BS students seeking a more in-depth advising conversation or prospective HCDE BS students should instead book an advising appointment. Event interval: Single day event. Online Meeting Link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/98076420726. Campus room: Virtual; login with UWNetID required. Accessibility Contact: Meghan Oxley, what@uw.edu. Event Types: Academics. Target Audience: Current HCDE undergraduates only. Thursday, May 21, 2026, 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM. Zoom.

[Alumni event] HCDE Alumni Social

Join fellow alumni from the University of Washington’s Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering for a relaxed evening of connection and community at Gasworks Brewing. Reconnect with classmates, meet graduates from across cohorts and industries, and hear the latest updates from HCDE. This year’s gathering will also feature a special moment: a book launch celebration for HCDE Professor David Ribes. Professor Ribes will give a short talk on his new book, Machineries of Similarity and Difference, which examines decades of HIV/AIDS research and the infrastructures that have supported it—offering insight into how complex systems evolve and shape what we know.   It’s a chance to connect with the HCDE community and get a window into the kind of research happening in the department today. Please note this event is only for HCDE alumni and not open to current students. Questions? Contact Melissa Ewing at mewing3@uw.edu. Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: mewing3@uw.edu. Event Types: Special Events. Event sponsors: Human Centered Design & Engineering. Target Audience: HCDE alumni (all programs), faculty, staff. Thursday, May 21, 2026, 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM. Gasworks Brewing, Seattle.

Dissertation Defense: Lotus Zhang, "Accessible Digital Content Creation by Blind and Low Vision Individuals"

Members of the HCDE & DUB communities are invited to attend a dissertation defense by PhD Candidate Lotus Zhang. Accessible Digital Content Creation by Blind and Low Vision Individuals, PhD Candidate: Lotus Zhang Abstract: Creative activities are central to cultural participation, self-expression, and professional life, yet they remain largely inaccessible to blind and low vision (BLV) individuals. Most creative tools assume a sighted creator by default, offering limited nonvisual feedback to support iterative decision-making with visual content. Meanwhile, accessibility research has historically positioned BLV individuals as consumers of digital media rather than creators, leaving critical gaps in our understanding of their creative needs, goals, and workflows. This dissertation examines how BLV individuals engage in visually mediated creative work and how creative tools can better support their needs. Through a user-centered, iterative approach spanning four studies, it identifies the varied feedback… Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Mary Gates Hall (MGH). Online Meeting Link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/96336052388. Campus room: MGH room 271. Accessibility Contact: hcdehelp@uw.edu. Event Types: Lectures/Seminars. Event sponsors: Human Centered Design & Engineering. Tuesday, May 26, 2026, 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM.

CREATE Community Day

CREATE Community Day is an annual half-day forum for discussing the concerns about and approaches to sustainable accessibility research and a showcase of research led by CREATE and HuskyADAPT. Student researchers highlight their work and showcase a variety of individual and team projects. Directions and Parking , Zoom link to be provided , Accessibility: Building FAQs | Email, Panel topics and speakers are being finalized and will be announced soon.  1:15–2:30 p.m. - Community Day panel discussion #1 (hybrid) 2:45–4:00 p.m. - Community Day panel discussion #2 (hybrid) 4:00–5:00 p.m. - Research Showcase co-hosted with HuskyADAPT (in-person only). Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Bill & Melinda Gates Center for Computer Science & Engineering (CSE2). Campus room: Zillow Commons. Accessibility Contact: oliviapb@uw.edu. Event Types: Academics. Diversity Equity Inclusion. Exhibits. Information Sessions. Meetings. Special Events. Event sponsors: CREATE - the Center for Research and Education on Accessible Technology and Experiences. Target Audience: Anyone interested in research on accessible technology & making the world accessible through tech. Wednesday, May 27, 2026, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM. For more info visit create.uw.edu.

CREATE & HuskyADAPT Research Showcase

The closing event for CREATE’s Community Day, this Research Showcase is co-sponsored by HuskyADAPT. Approximately 30 undergraduate and graduate student teams from at least eight majors/programs and all three UW campuses share their projects, covering a wide range of research. Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Bill & Melinda Gates Center for Computer Science & Engineering (CSE2). Campus room: Zillow Commons. Accessibility Contact: oliviapb@uw.edu. Event Types: Academics. Diversity Equity Inclusion. Exhibits. Special Events. Student Activities. Event sponsors: CREATE - the Center for Research and Education on Accessible Technology and Experiences. Target Audience: Anyone interested in research on accessible technology and making the world accessible through tech. Wednesday, May 27, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM. For more info visit create.uw.edu.

Quick Questions Drop-In Advising: Current HCDE BS Students

Quick questions drop-in advising with our HCDE BS adviser. Note: These drop-in advising sessions are intended for quick questions and for current HCDE BS students only. Current HCDE BS students seeking a more in-depth advising conversation or prospective HCDE BS students should instead book an advising appointment. Event interval: Single day event. Online Meeting Link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/98076420726. Campus room: Virtual; login with UWNetID required. Accessibility Contact: Meghan Oxley, what@uw.edu. Event Types: Academics. Target Audience: Current HCDE undergraduates only. Thursday, May 28, 2026, 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM. Zoom.

Dissertation Defense: Sourojit Ghosh (G), "Exploring Harmful Outcomes of Generative AI Systems upon Historically Marginalized Populations often Overlooked in Fairness Research"

Members of the HCDE & DUB communities are invited to attend a dissertation defense by PhD Candidate Sourojit Ghosh (G). Exploring Harmful Outcomes of Generative AI Systems upon Historically Marginalized Populations often Overlooked in Fairness Research, PhD Candidate: Sourojit Ghosh (G) Abstract: As I write this, the year is 2026, and the world finds itself firmly in the midst of a Generative AI (GAI) summer -- a period of abundant investment, research, and interest around the development of Artificial Intelligence tools. Since the public release of OpenAI's ChatGPT, GAI tools have seen widespread adoption across the public and private sectors. Capable of generating artificial text or images based on user input, such tools have also been known to replicate societal power dynamics and hierarchies. This has prompted the surge of research determined to understand the depth of this problem, with a particular focus on historically marginalized populations. However, such research has taken a fairly narrow view of… Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Sieg Building (SIG). Online Meeting Link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/96380036954. Campus room: Sieg 329. Accessibility Contact: hcdehelp@uw.edu. Event Types: Lectures/Seminars. Event sponsors: Human Centered Design & Engineering. Monday, June 1, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.

Dissertation Proposal: Joey Schafer, "Influencing the Influencers: Understanding the Impacts of Influencer Interactions on Modern Social Media Platforms"

The HCDE and DUB communities are invited to attend a dissertation proposal defense by PhD candidate Joey Schafer. Influencing the Influencers: Understanding the Impacts of Influencer Interactions on Modern Social Media Platforms, Proposal Abstract:As people increasingly get their news not from newspapers or broadcast media but online social platforms (including X, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky, and Instagram, among many others), the role that "influencers," or popular, trusted community members in these platforms who use their position to effectively communicate to and with their audiences, is increasingly important. My dissertation focuses on the question of "who influences the influencers?" with an aim to understand the participatory, mutually-shaping feedback loops of which influencers are a part. Through a series of three studies employing a mix of quantitative and qualitative analysis of social media trace data as well as semi-structured interviews, I explore these broader networks, documenting and… Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Allen Library (ALB). Online Meeting Link: http://washington.zoom.us/my/schaferj. Campus room: Allen Auditorium. Accessibility Contact: hcdehelp@uw.edu. Event Types: Lectures/Seminars. Event sponsors: Human Centered Design & Engineering. Tuesday, June 2, 2026, 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM.

Dissertation Defense: Andrea Figueroa, "Designing Visual Decision Support Systems to Foster Trust and Support Expertise Diversity through Human-Centered Data Science"

Members of the HCDE & DUB communities are invited to attend a dissertation defense by PhD Candidate Andrea Figueroa. Designing Visual Decision Support Systems to Foster Trust and Support Expertise Diversity through Human-Centered Data Science, PhD Candidate: Andrea Figueroa Abstract: Decision support systems (DSSs) increasingly shape how people interpret complex data and make consequential decisions. Although these systems are often evaluated through technical performance, usability, or efficiency, their effectiveness also depends on whether users can make sense of system outputs, judge their reliability, and engage with tools in ways that reflect their knowledge, roles, and goals. In visual DSSs, design choices about how data is shown directly shape how users interpret system outputs and decide what to do with them. This dissertation examines how visual DSSs can be designed and evaluated to foster trust and support expertise diversity. Grounded in Human-Centered Data Science and Munzner's nested model of… Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Sieg Building (SIG). Online Meeting Link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/94676894754. Campus room: Sieg 433. Accessibility Contact: hcdehelp@uw.edu. Event Types: Lectures/Seminars. Event sponsors: Human Centered Design & Engineering. Tuesday, June 2, 2026, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

HCDE Course Showcase: Interaction Design & Prototyping (HCDE 536)

Join the Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering for our end-of-quarter course showcases and view projects by current students. Light refreshments will be provided. Find additional Spring 2026 Course Showcases on the HCDE calendar. Course Showcase: Interaction Design & Prototyping (HCDE 536), Instructor: Paula Te Five teams of HCDE students will showcase site-specific interactive experiences that blend physical and digital interaction. Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: PACCAR Hall (PCAR). Campus room: PCAR 295. Accessibility Contact: hcdehelp@uw.edu. Event Types: Exhibits. Special Events. Event sponsors: Human Centered Design & Engineering. Target Audience: HCDE community, prospective students, and friends of the department. Tuesday, June 2, 2026, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM.

HCDE Capstone Showcase

Join the University of Washington's Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering for our 2026 Capstone Showcase. Student teams solve real-world problems through a human-centered lens. Projects are proposed by industry sponsors or driven by an interest from the students on the team. Details about projects will be added as the showcase nears. Questions? Contact Melissa Ewing at mewing3@uw.edu. Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Student Union Building (HUB). Campus room: HUB Ballroom. Accessibility Contact: mewing3@uw.edu. Event Types: Exhibits. Special Events. Event sponsors: Human Centered Design & Engineering. Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM. For more info visit www.hcde.washington.edu.

HCDE Course Showcase: Service Design - Advanced projects in HCDE (HCDE 418)

Join the Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering for our end-of-quarter course showcases and view projects by current students. Light refreshments will be provided. Find additional Spring 2026 Course Showcases on the HCDE calendar. Course Showcase: Service Design - Advanced projects in HCDE (HCDE 418) , Instructor: Tyler Fox Eight teams of HCDE undergrads will present proposals for services contributing to and creating social infrastructure. This is a great opportunity to see how HCDE students apply service design methods to real-world challenges. Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Sieg Building (SIG). Campus room: SIG 329. Accessibility Contact: hcdehelp@uw.edu. Event Types: Exhibits. Special Events. Event sponsors: Human Centered Design & Engineering. Target Audience: HCDE community, prospective students, and friends of the department. Thursday, June 4, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM.

HCDE Course Showcase: UX Prototyping (HCDE 351)

Join the Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering for our end-of-quarter course showcases and view projects by current students. Light refreshments will be provided. Find additional Spring 2026 Course Showcases on the HCDE calendar. Course Showcase: UX Prototyping (HCDE 351), Instructor: Katya Cherukumilli Drawing from the UN Sustainable Development goals, student teams will present final projects aiming to use a variety of prototyping techniques to build and test different concepts. They will explain the project goals (what, why, how), show key features of the prototype in action, and discuss their design decisions and evaluation of prototype effectiveness. Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Interdisciplinary Engineering Building (IEB). Campus room: IEB 205. Accessibility Contact: hcdehelp@uw.edu. Event Types: Exhibits. Special Events. Event sponsors: Human Centered Design & Engineering. Target Audience: HCDE community, prospective students, and friends of the department. Thursday, June 4, 2026, 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM.

Quick Questions Drop-In Advising: Current HCDE BS Students

Quick questions drop-in advising with our HCDE BS adviser. Note: These drop-in advising sessions are intended for quick questions and for current HCDE BS students only. Current HCDE BS students seeking a more in-depth advising conversation or prospective HCDE BS students should instead book an advising appointment. Event interval: Single day event. Online Meeting Link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/98076420726. Campus room: Virtual; login with UWNetID required. Accessibility Contact: Meghan Oxley, what@uw.edu. Event Types: Academics. Target Audience: Current HCDE undergraduates only. Friday, June 5, 2026, 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM. Zoom.

HCDE Course Showcase: Design and Management of Complex Systems (HCDE 520)

Join the Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering for our end-of-quarter course showcases and view projects by current students. Light refreshments will be provided. Find additional Spring 2026 Course Showcases on the HCDE calendar. Course Showcase: Design and Management of Complex Systems (HCDE 520), Instructor: Mark Haselkorn Three teams of HCDE students will present design investigations focused on improving shared situational awareness and coordination for transit operations at Sound Transit. Attendees will get a look at how students apply human-centered design research and systems thinking to complex, real-world transportation challenges. Note: Showcase attendees will need to sign an NDA due to the potentially sensitive nature of the presentations. Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Dempsey Hall (DEM). Campus room: Dempsey 004. Accessibility Contact: hcdehelp@uw.edu. Event Types: Exhibits. Special Events. Event sponsors: Human Centered Design & Engineering. Target Audience: HCDE community, prospective students, and friends of the department. Monday, June 8, 2026, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM.

HCDE Graduation and Awards Ceremony

Join the University of Washington Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering for the 2026 HCDE Graduation & Awards Ceremony celebrating graduating BS, MS, and PhD students. The ceremony will include remarks from HCDE Chair Julie Kientz, a graduation address by Ram Shankar Siva Kumar, and the presentation of student awards recognizing academic excellence, leadership, innovation, and contributions to diversity, equity, and inclusion. View full ceremony details here ». Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Student Union Building (HUB). Campus room: Ballroom. Accessibility Contact: mewing3@uw.edu. Event Types: Ceremonies. Event sponsors: Human Centered Design & Engineering. Target Audience: HCDE graduating bachelor's, master's, and PhD students, their families and friends. Friday, June 12, 2026, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM. For more info visit hcde.uw.edu.

HCDE PhD Recognition Ceremony

Recognition Ceremony honoring HCDE PhD Graduates with faculty advisors and invited guests. Closed Event. Event interval: Single day event. Campus room: tbd. Accessibility Contact: Kathleen Rascon, khorenst@uw.edu. Event Types: Ceremonies. Friday, June 12, 2026, 12:30 PM – 3:00 PM.