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Enabling the
Transition from Ubiquitous Computing to Everyday
Computing
Abstract
The emphasis between unleashing
technological capabilities and enabling people to
effectively integrate these capabilities into everyday
practices has a predictable shift best illustrated by
the distinction between mainframe computers and personal
desktop computers. In this talk, I will examine how
this pattern is playing out in the current transition
from ubiquitous computing to what I call "everyday
computing."
As computing shifts from dedicated, localized tools, to
ubiquitously available services, research in
human-computer interaction must now address how to
integrate these services into the highly informal
activities that make up everyday life. In this talk, I
will describe my current research in everyday computing
- examining the human-computer interface implications of
having computation
continuously present in many aspects of everyday life.
Themes in my research include supporting informal
collaboration and awareness in office environments,
enabling creative work and visual communication, and
augmenting social processes for managing personal
information. I am one of the principal researchers in
the Aware Home Research Initiative; investigating the
design of future home technologies especially those that
enable older adults to continue living independently as
opposed to moving to an institutional care setting.
Biography
Elizabeth D. Mynatt is an Associate Professor in the
College of Computing at the Georgia Institute of
Technology. She is the founder and director of the
Everyday Computing Laboratory. Dr. Mynatt is an
internationally recognized expert in the areas of
ubiquitous computing and assistive technologies.
Dr. Mynatt is the Director of the Georgia Tech Graphics,
Visualization and Usability (GVU) Center, and is
responsible for research and educational objectives in
human-computer interaction, including a new Ph.D.
program in Human-Centered Computing and a highly
regarded HCI Master's degree program that bridges
computing, psychology, design and communication.
Prior to her current position, she worked for three
years at Xerox PARC - the birthplace of ubiquitous
computing - alongside its inventor, Mark Weiser. Her
research explored how to augment everyday places and
objects with computational capabilities. She has
chaired multiple conferences on computer interface
technologies and auditory displays, published numerous
articles, and is an active leader in her field.
Dr. Mynatt is a Sloan Research Fellow. Her research is
supported by multiple grants from the National Science
Foundation including a five-year NSF CAREER award.
Other honorary awards include being named the Top Woman
Innovator in Technology by Atlanta Woman magazine in
2005, the 2001 College of Computing's Junior Faculty
Research award and the 2003 College of Computing's
Dean's Award.
Dr. Mynatt received her Ph.D. in computer science at
Georgia Tech under the guidance of Dr. James Foley. Her
dissertation work pioneered creating nonspeech auditory
interfaces from graphical interfaces to enable blind
computer users to work with modern computer
applications. Her M.S and undergraduate degrees in
computer science were granted from Georgia Tech and
North Carolina State University respectively. A native
of Knoxville, Tennessee, Dr. Mynatt resides in Atlanta,
Georgia with her husband, 3 year-old daughter and 6
month-old son.
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