Our weekly SRI Seminar Series welcomes Tawanna Dillahunt, an associate professor at the University of Michigan’s School of Information whose research spans human-computer interaction and ubiquitous computing fields, including environmental, economic, and social sustainability.

With the narrowing of the digital divide and the ubiquity of smart devices and mobile hotspots in common places, Dillahunt sees an urgent need to explore the use of these technologies for those that stand the most to gain from such resources. Her research team investigates, designs, builds, enhances, and deploys innovative technologies that solve real-world problems to support the needs of people from historically excluded groups, including the development of accessible digital employment tools, applications for ridesharing and delivery for lower-income and transportation-scarce groups, and models for novice entrepreneurs to build their technical capacity.