I'm Kamala!
I'm a Ph.D. candidate in Informatics (Human-Computer Interaction) at Penn State's College of Information Sciences and Technology, working under the supervision of Dr. Shaowen Bardzell. My research is situated at the intersection of women’s health and technology, aimed at designing for the neglected felt experiences of women navigating pregnancy after loss, with and through technology.
As a computer science engineer turned human-computer interaction researcher, I seek ways to use technology as a medium to solve societal issues while centering lived human experiences throughout the research and design process. My research positionality is a culmination of my educational background & career, my interests in user research and design, and who I am as a human - desiring to meaningfully contribute towards the design of technological systems that can positively impact the lives of people who are truly in need.
News
March ‘24
I have been connecting with people on ADPList, let us have a chat!
November ‘23
May ‘23
Three of the eight CHI ‘24 papers I reviewed received special recognition for outstanding reviews.
I will be joining Google NYC this summer as a UX Research Intern.
March ‘23
I was awarded the Gary Marsden Travel Award by SIGCHI and Penn State Global Graduate Student Travel Grant to support my travel to CHI ‘23. I will be attending CHI ‘23 in Hamburg, Germany as a Student Volunteer.
February ‘23
My position paper Navigating Trauma and Healing: From Pregnancy Loss to Motherhood was accepted at the Collective Healing to Support Design Futures workshop, CHI ‘23
January ‘23
I started volunteering as a Data and Research Contributor at FemHealth Insights
October ‘22
I passed my Comprehensive exam, defending my dissertation proposal. I am officially ABD (All but Dissertation).
I was featured in Women’s Health Research Cluster Blog. Checkout Behind the Science: Designing for Pregnancy After Loss, With and Through Technology.
June ‘22
May ‘22
I was one of the two researchers selected by the Penn State department of IST to attend HCIC ‘22.
January ‘22
I was selected to participate in the CRA-WP Grad Cohort for Women ‘22.
August ‘21
I won the CSCW ‘21 student volunteer postcard design competition.
May ‘21
I passed my Qualifying Exam. I am officially a Ph.D. candidate!
August ‘20
I transferred to a fully funded Ph.D. program in Informatics (Human Computer Interaction), at The Pennsylvania State University.
May ‘20
I started working as a Graduate Research Assistant at the CRIT lab.
August ‘19
I started my Masters in Human Computer Interaction and Design at Indiana University.