Adinawa Adjagbodjou

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Hi, I'm Adinawa.

I'm a 3rd Year PhD Student at Carnegie Mellon University's Human-Computer Interaction Institute. I am advised by Geoff Kaufman in the eheart Lab. My research is supported by the NSF GRFP Fellowship. I graduated from Harvard University with my BA in Economics with a Computer Science minor.  

My research uses mixed methods and a research-through-design approach to understand how the design of immersive technologies can augment access to social capital in order to promote agency, collaboration, and joy for users. I work with technologies that improve agency in communication, resource-seeking and relationship building, and contribute both novel design artifacts and empirical understanding of users. My current work is designing social Virtual Reality experiences for enriching language learning through targeted affective and psychological interventions in immersive environments, using participatory and co-design methods. Some of my recent work has centered around mixed-reality design, computer-supported collaborative work, equitable NLP/ASR, personalization, education, and algorithmic fairness.  

Email me at aadjagbo@andrew.cmu.edu

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Envisioning Support-Centered Technologies for Language Practice and Use: Needs and Design Opportunities for Immigrant English Language Learners (ELLs) Adinawa Adjagbodjou, Geoff Kaufman. To appear in CHI '24. [preprint]

🏆 Flourishing in the Everyday: Moving Beyond Damage-Centered Design in HCI for BIPOC Communities

Alexandra To,  Angela D. R. Smith, Dilruba Showkat, Adinawa Adjagbodjou, Christina Harrington. DIS '23: Proceedings of the 2023 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference July 2023 (Pages 917–933) [Paper]. Best Paper Award.



Posters, Workshops, and Extended Abstracts


Opportunities for Mitigating Toxic Behavior in Virtual Social Spaces

Adinawa Adjagbodjou

CHI 23 Workshop on Combating Toxicity, Harassment, and Abuse in Online Social Spaces. Hamburg, Germany April 23, 2023 [Position Paper]

QuVis: A Quantum Visualization Tool for Novices

Milan Williams, Elisa Zhao Hang, Adinawa Adjagbodjou, Robert Krueger and Johanna Beyer, Harvard University, USA. Poster, IEEE International Conference on Quantum Computing and Engineering (QCE20). October 12-16, 2020 [Poster] [Proceedings Abstract]



Articles

DEI in Computing: Centering the Margins 

Jordan Taylor, Adinawa Adjagbodjou

XRDS: Crossroads, The ACM Magazine for Students, Volume 28 Issue 4, Summer 2022 (Pages 6-7) [Article]

Machine Learning Fairness in Big Tech

Adinawa Adjagbodjou

XRDS: Crossroads, The ACM Magazine for Students, Volume 28 Issue 4, Summer 2022 (Pages 30-31) [Article]




Recent and Ongoing Research

Equitable and Responsible NLP/ASR

What the current approaches practitioners and researchers utilize for NLP and ASR that are inclusive of AAVE?

This collaboration explores the methods for equitable and responsible design of Natural Language Processing and Automated Speech Recognition systems that are inclusive of African American Vernacular English, and develop a rigorous analysis and critique of existing approaches, and offer guidelines for future research.





Envisioning Support Tools for Language Learning

What are the socio-technical tools language learners use to communicate and navigate in informal contexts? What limitations do they have and which features can promote positive experiences?

We conduct an empirical, user-centered project study centered around understanding how immigrant English Language Learners approach language learning in their day-to-do lives and the technologies and support systems they use on their journey. In the current stage of the project,  we work collaboratively to develop tools that balance empowerment and affirmed identity, emphasize cultural and community assets, and align with the context in which these individuals experience language exchanges, in order to support individuals in engage meaningfully in conversations, building connections, seeking resources, and self-advocating.


Examining a Speculative Afrofuturist Design Toolkit

How do communities think about the potential ways existing technologies affect their daily lives and in what ways can a speculative design toolkit help communities envision safer futures?

Using a series of workshops and design activities that consider alternative futures as a way to engage community residents in conversations, we explore how practitioners and community activists communicate values, view existing technology platforms, and explore the challenges and opportunities for participatory design that can benefit their communities.  In partnership with local Pittsburgh organizations, this project explores the societal implications of existing technology platforms and ideas for how to reimagine these platforms.


Virtual Reality Environments for Professional Collaboration

In what ways can the design of virtual environments, avatars, public and social cues promote collaboration and co-creation in professional settings?

This study investigates how Virtual Reality (VR) environments can be designed to improve communication skills and encourage certain behaviors in groups, specifically collaborative practices in professional settings, specifically Relationship-Building Meetings, Presentations for Decision-Making, and Co-creation Sessions. We investigate how communication can be improved and beneficial behaviors can be encouraged and harmful behaviors discouraged via the characteristics of the virtual environment and designed interactive, fully immersive VR environments and games for professional to engage with.


CRTxHuman-AI Principles for Equitable Algorithmic Design

Can Critical Race Theory frameworks inform the design of Human-AI technologies in practical industry and research contexts?

With collaborators at the Harvard School of Engineering, in this work, we interviewed industry experts and Critical Race Theory practitioner, analysed data, and gathered 24 guidelines for design, development, and deployment process, user-tested guidelines. 

 Recent Activities and News

Speaking Engagements

Some of my recent talks, presentations, panels, and invited appearances, including a guest interview with the UNCF STEM podcast, a panelist for the OurCS Conference for Undergraduates in Computer Science, and guest lectures for courses at Harvard University and Carnegie Mellon University. If you think I could be a good fit for an event you or your organization are hosting, I am available for a variety of speaking engagements! 

Recent highlights and other cool things I'm up to!

Connect with me via email at aadjagbo@andrew.cmu.edu or follow me on Twitter!