Many computer scientists want to make computers think more like people -- I want to use computers to make us think about other people. I am currently working on this by using mixed methods approach to explore visual communication and culture at scale. I especially focus my work on individuals and groups who are not represented in the making, regulating, and evaluation of visual media and its distribution.
I am particularly interested in questions such as:
I am currently in the first year of my PhD in the Human Centered Design Engineering Department. My advisor is Professor Kate Starbird and I am a member of the Center for an Informed Public. I did my first rotation under Professor Cecilia Aragon in the Human Centered Data Science Laboratory, focusing on applying qualitative visual research methods to social media identity formation.
On the side, my friend and collaborator Dr. Katlyn Turner and I run KTLN, a boutique research consultancy.
Please reach out via email I am ninalikespi or ninalutz on all the other internet things, but I look at email the most reliably :).
I am a proud first generation college student (my parents did not have the opportunity to earn post-high school degrees) and proud product of the Phoenix, AZ public eduation system. I am always happy to have career chats and mentor students and young professionals to the best of my capacity, particularly students who also face the challenge of navigating the collegeiant system when their parents did not have the opportunity to. Please note though, I am not able to advise regarding the MIT Media Lab.
I completed my undergraduate education at MIT (with a brief stint at Apple) in Computer Science and Design, and continued on to my MS at the MIT Media Lab. As an undergrad, I developed my research passion and fundamentals under Ira Winder, deploying computational interactive simulations for urban and corporate entities. I also spent time in the classroom as a TA and instructor during my undergrad years. I have also collaborated with my undergraduate advisor, Ethan Zuckerman on writing in and out of the classroom.
My MS focused on the intersection of art, identity, and technology. My thesis was a sign language edition of a digital participatory artwork called A Counting, featured in multiple museums and the NY Times. I was also a guest for a unit on creative coding at Gallaudet University and I taught a seminar at MIT with Dr. Katlyn Turner on our framework, DeCentering.
After graduating in 2021 with my MS, I moved to the enchanting Pacific Northwest, where I now call Seattle home. I worked for Redfin for 2 years, focusing on products that ensured service to homebuyers at every budget and property type.
