About me
I am a fourth year PhD student at the People and Robots Laboratory at the Computer Sciences Department of University of Wisconsin-Madison, advised by Bilge Mutlu. I received my PhD minor in Human Development and Family Studies, MS degree in Cognitive Science (‘20) from Middle East Technical University and a BS degree in Computer Science (‘18) from Bilkent University. I take an interdisciplinary lens in my research, with the intersection of computer science, cognitive science, social robotics, design, and family studies.
Research Interests
In my PhD research, I take a family-centered approach to developing social companion robots tailored to the needs and preferences of children and families. Through qualitative and design-based research, I explore how these technologies can be used to improve families’ lives, facilitate their routines, and support connections.
Research Themes
1) Exploring families’ preferences for social robots (e.g., in-home robots as reading companions, for caretaking, as homework assistants)
2) Designing social robot interactions for children and families (e.g., unboxing experiences, emotion design)
3) Deploying robots in family homes (e.g., Misty robot platform as a reading companion home deployment)
4) Forming theoretical knowledge from interdisciplinary insights (e.g., Family Studies, Communication Sciences, Human-Computer Interaction)
Talks and Selected Publications
My YouTube Playlist of Paper Talks
Spotlight News
Dec 1, 2023: Our proposed full-day workshop focusing on “Methods for Family-Centered Design” is accepted for CHI2024.
Nov 22, 2023: My paper focusing on a “A Family-Centered Framework in HRI” is accepted for HRI2024 theory track.
Nov 17, 2023: I was invited to give a talk at the CS Colloqium at University of Iowa, Rising Stars in HCI
Jun 22, 2023: Presented my recent work at IDC2023, Chicago (Full Paper: Homework Companion Robot Short Paper: Family Theories in HRI )
Jun 19, 2023: Hosted a half-day workshop at IDC2023 on Family-Centered Interaction Design
May 26, 2023: Passed my qualifying examination focusing on a literature review for “Social Robots for Families”
April 23, 2023: Attended the Doctoral Consortium at CHI2023, Hamburg.