Juan Pablo Hourcade

Juan Pablo Hourcade is a Professor at the University of Iowa's Department of Computer Science and serves as Director of Graduate Studies for the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Informatics. His research focuses on Human-Computer Interaction, particularly the design, implementation, and evaluation of technologies that enhance creativity, collaboration, well-being, and information access for diverse users, including children and older adults.

His work addresses critical areas such as ethical considerations in emerging technologies for children, health informatics for rare diseases, and the integration of robotics in early education. Key projects include Robotito for computational thinking and StoryCarnival for social play. He emphasizes participatory design methods and frameworks like the 4Cs (Create, Connect, Communicate, Control) to guide child-centered technology development.

Recent publications highlight his efforts in democratizing technology ethics, developing voice agents for inclusive play, and advancing educational robotics. He also contributes to systematic reviews of technologies teaching computational thinking and co-designing with mixed-ability groups for inclusive education.