Jerry Alan Fails

Jerry Alan Fails is the Chair and Professor in the Computer Science Department at Boise State University, Idaho. He specializes in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), focusing on designing technologies with and for children using participatory design methods. His research emphasizes ethical concerns in child-centered design, digital privacy, and inclusive technology development at global scales.

He leads the intergenerational Kidsteam design group, which collaborates with children and adults to co-design technologies. Key research areas include children’s online privacy, digital resilience, and innovative design modalities for diverse populations. Fails also serves as International Steering Committee Chair for ACM Interaction Design and Children (IDC), organizing major conferences like the 2019 ACM IDC in Boise.

His work integrates participatory design principles with ethical frameworks, addressing challenges in emerging technologies such as extended reality (XR) and wearable devices. He actively contributes to academic committees and editorial roles, including the IJCCI Associate Editorship.

Current projects explore children’s online information-seeking behaviors, family digital ecology of fear, and scalable co-design practices. He advocates for democratizing ethical technology development through interdisciplinary collaboration and global engagement.