Prototyping and Design

Dr. Brent Hecht serves as Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota, focusing on the intersection of human-computer interaction, geography, and big data. His academic credentials include a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Northwestern University, an MS in Geography from UC Santa Barbara, and dual Bachelor's degrees in Computer Science and Geography from Macalester College. Through his Coursera courses "Evaluating User Interfaces," "Introduction to UI Design," and "User Research and Design," he helps students understand the principles of user interface design and evaluation. His research examines the relationship between big data and cultural factors, particularly focusing on volunteered geographic information and location-aware technologies. His collaborations with major tech companies including Google Research, Xerox PARC, and Microsoft Research demonstrate his influence in the field. His work has earned recognition at premier conferences in human-computer interaction and geography, including ACM CHI and COSIT, while receiving coverage in major media outlets including MIT Technology Review and New Scientist.

Dr. Haiyi Zhu is the Daniel P. Siewiorek Assistant Professor of Human-Computer Interaction at Carnegie Mellon University. She earned her B.S. in Computer Science from Tsinghua University, followed by an M.S. and a Ph.D. in Human-Computer Interaction from Carnegie Mellon University. Dr. Zhu has received numerous accolades for her research, including multiple National Science Foundation (NSF) awards and several paper awards from prestigious conferences such as CHI, CSCW, and Human Factors. She was also honored with the Allen Newell Award for Research Excellence.Her research integrates social science theory, quantitative methods, and computational techniques like machine learning and statistics to investigate the dynamics of large-scale online social systems. This includes examining peer production communities like Wikipedia and StackOverflow, social networking sites such as Facebook, and sharing economy platforms like Uber and Airbnb. Dr. Zhu teaches several courses on Coursera, including "Evaluating User Interfaces" and "Introduction to UI Design," focusing on equipping students with essential skills in user experience design.

Svetlana “Lana” Yarosh is an Associate Professor in the Computer Science & Engineering Department at the University of Minnesota. She holds dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Computer Science and Psychology from the University of Maryland, as well as a Ph.D. in Human-Centered Computing from Georgia Institute of Technology. With two years of industry research experience at AT&T Labs, Dr. Yarosh specializes in Human-Computer Interaction, focusing on Social Computing and Child-Computer Interaction. Her research aims to design systems that strengthen social relationships, enhance family dynamics, support individual health and well-being, and foster personal and community growth.Dr. Yarosh's impactful work has garnered significant attention, being featured on CNN and receiving multiple awards for innovation and best papers. She has also been recognized with numerous grants and scholarships for her contributions to the field. On Coursera, she teaches courses such as "Evaluating User Interfaces" and "Introduction to UI Design," where she equips students with essential skills in user experience design.

Dr. Loren Terveen is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Minnesota, where he specializes in human-computer interaction and social computing. He earned his PhD in Computer Sciences from the University of Texas at Austin and subsequently spent 11 years at AT&T Labs/Bell Labs. With over 100 published scientific papers and 9 patents to his name, Dr. Terveen has made significant contributions to the fields of peer production systems and the quantitative analysis of social media data. His research projects have explored various aspects of online communities, including content creation on platforms like Wikipedia and the development of innovative interface designs that enhance user participation.In addition to his research, Dr. Terveen teaches several courses on Coursera, including Evaluating User Interfaces, Introduction to UI Design, Prototyping and Design, and User Research and Design. He has held numerous leadership positions within the professional community, including serving as President of ACM’s Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction (SIGCHI). Through his work, Dr. Terveen aims to leverage empirical studies to create novel systems that address real-world problems in human-computer interaction

Dr. Joseph A. Konstan is a Distinguished McKnight University Professor and Distinguished University Teaching Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota. He holds an A.B. from Harvard University and both an M.S. and Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley. His research focuses on various aspects of human-computer interaction, particularly recommender systems, social computing, and the application of computing in public health. Notably, his work on the GroupLens Recommender System earned him the 2010 ACM Software Systems Award. Dr. Konstan has received numerous teaching accolades and has contributed significantly to the field through his leadership roles, including past President of ACM SIGCHI.In addition to his research, Dr. Konstan teaches several courses on Coursera, including Evaluating User Interfaces, Introduction to Recommender Systems, and User Research and Design. He has also chaired significant conferences in the field, such as the first ACM Conference on Recommender Systems in 2007. Recognized as a Fellow of the ACM, IEEE, and AAAS, he is actively involved in promoting ethical practices in social computing research and has delivered webinars on these topics.