home / about / research / publications and press / other fun
home / about / research / publications and press / other fun
Many computer scientists want to make computers think more like people, I want to use computers to make us think about other people. I pursure this goal by using mixed methods approaches to explore visual culture at scale. I center my work in problematic information (online hate, misinformation, scams) where I study how visual media plays a particular role in targeting individuals' core identities (i.e. gender, religion, ethnicity, race) with the aim of pushing forward misinformation, online hate, or scams - often at the expense of marginalized identities. I also focus on how the visual affordances of platforms can make us more vulnerable to misinformation and how other researchers can integrate visual methodologies into their work. You can read a little more about my current work and methods on my research page.
I was trained as a computer scientist and designer in the MIT Computer Science and Architecture & Design departments, where I also earned my MS from the MIT Media Lab. I try to bridge methodologies from computer vision, media studies, and a strong idea of intersectionality of identities to drive a visual first research agenda for how we understand people's interactions with visual media in sociotechncial systems, particularly social media, in HCI and CSCW spaces.
I'm a second year PhD student in the Human Centered Design Engineering Department advised by Professor Kate Starbird and a member of the Center for an Informed Public. I have also worked with Professor Cecilia Aragon in the Human Centered Data Science Laboratory, developing visual research methods towards identities in AI and social media systems.
On the side, my friend and collaborator Dr. Katlyn Turner and I run KTLN, a boutique research consultancy.
Before my PhD, I was a Product Manager for nearly 3 years at Redfin and I have called Seattle home since 2021. Outside of work, you can catch me being a loyal patron of the Seattle restaurant and bar scene and consistently updating my wine and cheese spreadsheet. Someday I will codify and publish my database of bars and restaurants, I swear.
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 and proud product of the Phoenix, AZ public education 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 collegiate system when their parents did not have the opportunity to.
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. 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 around incorporating new notions of intersectionality and systems design around media representation with Dr. Katlyn Turner. I continue my work with Kate as a founding partner and computational lead in KTLN, our consultancy that specializes in providing research methods to large nonprofits in the environmental justice space.
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 almost 3 years, focusing on products that ensured service to home buyers at every budget and property type.
