C. Estelle Smith

C. Estelle Smith is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the Colorado School of Mines (CS@Mines), directing the #HappyPlace research lab. Her work bridges Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), health technologies, and community-driven design, with a focus on Computational Spiritual Support and online health communities. She holds a PhD from the University of Minnesota (2020) and has collaborated with organizations including CaringBridge, Reddit, and the Wikimedia Foundation.

Educational Background:

• Ph.D. in Computer Science (2020), University of Minnesota, GroupLens Research
• M.S. in Computer Science (2020), University of Minnesota
• B.S. in Neuroscience (2015), University of Minnesota
• B.A. in English (Creative Writing, 2010), University of Minnesota

Research interests include Whole-Human Centered Design, AI ethics, and the intersection of spirituality with technology. Key contributions include frameworks for online spiritual care communities and studies on governance bots in Reddit. Awards include Best Paper Honorable Mentions at CHI and CSCW, and recognition from the HCIC and CSST consortia.

Her work has been published in top venues such as CHI, CSCW, and ToCHI. Current research explores generative AI adoption in education and ethical challenges in sociotechnical systems. No student positions are currently available due to funding constraints.