User Research 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. Joseph A. Konstan is a distinguished professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota, where he holds the title of Distinguished McKnight University Professor and Distinguished University Teaching Professor. His extensive research focuses on human-computer interaction, particularly in the areas of recommender systems, social computing, and public health applications. Notably, his work on the GroupLens Recommender System earned him the prestigious ACM Software Systems Award in 2010.Dr. Konstan received his A.B. from Harvard University and both his M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. He is recognized for his contributions to education through various teaching awards and has delivered numerous webinars and short courses on topics such as recommender systems and ethical issues in social computing. As a Fellow of the ACM, IEEE, and AAAS, he has also served as President of ACM SIGCHI and has chaired several major conferences in the field. His courses on Coursera include "Introduction to Recommender Systems," "Evaluating User Interfaces," and "User Research and Design," aimed at equipping students with essential skills in user experience and system design.

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