Graduate Colloquium

Elie Danziger, Ph.D., Social Anthropology Intern, Stripe Partners

My doctoral research investigates how scientists and technical engineers in ecological science try and study ‘whole’ ecosystems through experimental control in artificial biodomes and chambers. By observing their various forms of tinkering, this study offers nuanced and critical standpoints on the general trope of controlled ecologies and ‘smart’ eco-engineering. This research calls into question what ‘circular’ or ‘loop-like’ projects might mean when seen from below.

Elie Danziger was born and raised in France and studied anthropology in the UK and Paris. For her PhD training, she recently completed an ethnography of projects of artificial ecosystems in confined environments. Passionate about social and cultural dynamics, Elie is interested in applying my anthropological research skills in operational projects focused on people’s engagements with products and (public) services. Elie is currently interning at Stripe Partners and is looking to gain more experience in the field of applied anthropology.

Kim Forrest, Recent Master’s Recipient, Universidad de las América Puebla (UDLAP)

Clean cookstove interventions in the Global South often harness pre-existing social relationships built on trust to establish and grow programs. My research explores how local concepts of trust in two distinct regions of Guatemala have influenced program design and participant experience of a clean cookstove program delivered by an international NGO. Insights gained through a design anthropology approach invite reflection on using ethnographic practices to improve program alignment and strategic direction through deeper understanding of local values.

Kim Forrest recently completed her Master’s in Anthropological Studies of Mexico at UDLAP, drawing on Design Anthropology and her background in corporate marketing and nonprofit leadership to design a project to deliver actionable insights to a clean cookstove organization. She seeks to use ethnographic practice to influence strategic direction and communications in organizations that focus on human dimensions of human-environment interactions, alternative technologies, and related fields. She currently lives in Springfield, Oregon, USA.

Jingyu Zhang, Master’s Student, The University of Tokyo

This research employs ethnographic methods within Tokyo’s urban settings to explore how the use of dating apps is transforming young people’s intimate lives in the digital age. By situating Tokyo’s dating culture within broader global trends, it aims to offer a contextualized perspective that balances the predominance of Western-centric studies and enriches cross-cultural discussions on technology-mediated intimacy.

Jingyu Zhang is a graduate student in Interdisciplinary Information Studies at the University of Tokyo. Originally from Shanghai, she moved to Tokyo and spent a year on exchange in Amsterdam, where she developed research skills through a cross-cultural lens. Building on her academic background in sociology and gender studies during her bachelor’s degree, her current research focuses on the social and cultural impacts of digital platforms on youth.

W. Helena Chien, Graduate Student, Savannah College of Art & Design

This research examines the impact of population growth in Savannah, Georgia (US), addressing an increasing disconnect between municipal government and the newly developed suburban communities. Additionally, it aims to explore interventions to enhance social cohesion and strengthen public confidence in local governance. The COVID-19 pandemic has catalyzed significant demographic shifts in mid-sized cities across the southeastern United States, resulting in a population surge alongside rapid economic growth in the region. This growth enhances city-level economic development and housing expansion, but also intensifies social and cultural disruption as well as resource inequality. Nevertheless, communities exhibit remarkable resilience and unity, as seen in recent crises such as flooding in the central U.S. states and wildfires in the Los Angeles metro area. These events highlight an underlying capacity for mutual support and sociality that transcends political and social divisions.

Helena Chien is currently pursuing her M.F.A. in Design Management at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia (US). She holds a bachelor’s degree in Visual Communication Design from the Ohio State University. Helena began her career as a corporate graphic designer and later transitioned to focus on creative project management, specializing in proposal strategies and visual storytelling. Drawing on her studies, life experiences, and knowledge of commercial real estate, her research focuses on community engagement and urban development with a strong interest in design-led policy development and modernizing public sector processes.

Uttishta Varanasi, Doctoral Researcher, Department of Computer Science, Aalto University

My research looks at creating infrastructures of participation to enable migrants in Finnish municipalities to have a voice in the development and direction of public services, thus building equity and trust. I use participatory methods to examine how to equitably harness different forms of knowledge, especially in social collectives and infrastructures that consist of marginalized populations.

Uttishta Varanasi is a doctoral researcher in the Department of Computer Science at Aalto University. His current work focuses on designing digital public services for migrants through the lens of equity. Having previously worked on building critical, playful and inclusive algorithmic literacy among young learners, his focus is on building agency and capacity for migrants using participatory methods.

Kathi Kaiser, Graduate Student/UX Consultant, Bentley University

Hurricanes pose an existential threat to those in their paths; however, many people do not evacuate despite the risks. My research applies a user-centered design approach to addressing the problem of how best to support this complex decision by exploring questions around visualization comprehension, perception of risk, and individual differences in information processing and decision making. Using a symbolic interactionist perspective and a mixed-method approach, my work strives to help people make decisions about taking protective action.

Kathi Kaiser is Principal at KaiserUX Associates, a UX consultancy specializing in usability testing, UX research, and UX strategy. When she’s not in the lab, Kathi may be found observing people on boats, in museums, and wherever the digital and physical worlds collide. Kathi is pursuing her Ph.D. in Business/Experience Design at Bentley University, expected July 2027. She received her A.B. in Psychology from Georgetown University, and her M.A. in Social Science from the University of Chicago.

Yuchi Yahagi, PhD Student, The University of Tokyo

My doctoral project consists of two primary field studies:

• the design and development of PaperWave, an application that converts research papers into conversational podcasts, and
• a participant observation study conducted in an HCI laboratory.

Through these case studies, it explores how HCI students develop their own understanding of unfamiliar technologies by tinkering. This research aims to provide a more nuanced perspective on learning within design practice.

Yuchi Yahagi is a PhD student in the Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies at the University of Tokyo. He received his MAS in Interdisciplinary Information Studies from the University of Tokyo in 2022. With a background in engineering, he began his career at the intersection of human-computer interaction and optics. His research interests have evolved to focus on making as a core concept, extending into the learning sciences and design.