ellensimpson

I am a PhD Candidate at the University of Colorado at Boulder in Information Science. Formerly, I was at Syracuse University’s iSchool, but moved when my advisor took a position at the University of Colorado.

My research investigates the impacts of sociotechnical systems on people’s sense of self and the rhythms and routines of their everyday lives. My research focuses on two interconnected areas of sociotechnical research, particularly in the field of social computing: (1) the everyday work and routines of people, and (2) how people draw on sociotechnical systems in these daily interactions to inform how they engage with their identities, communities, and the technical systems upon which they work. Through this work, I develop community-driven solutions to improve experiences for individual users who work by, on, and through these sociotechnical systems. I explore how people work to improve, adapt, and transform sociotechnical systems for themselves and others in ways that push back against the normative logics embedded into their design and functionality.

I have published at top-tier peer reviewed computing venues, including first author papers at Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI), Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing (CSCW), and the International Conference on Supporting Group Work (GROUP). My work has also been published in top peer-reviewed journals, including New Media and Society and Policy & Internet. At GROUP ’23, I received a Best Paper Award, one of two best paper awards given. During my graduate studies, I have published eight full papers, four of which were first author papers – 6 in journals and 3 in conference proceedings. In HCI and Social Computing disciplines, conference publications are as impactful as journal publications. According to Google Scholar, as of April ‘24, I have a citation count of 282 and an h-index of 7. My publications appear on syllabi at The University of Colorado Boulder, University College London, Northeastern University, The University of California Los Angeles, The University of Washington, and The TikTok Cultures Research Network Initiative. My publications are listed here.

Information about my previous projects, including my books and screen writing, are listed on my projects page.

To read a full draft of my research statement, please click here.

To learn more about my teaching and commitment to being an educator, please visit my teaching page.