Julie A. Kientz

Julie A. Kientz is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Human-Centered Design & Engineering at the University of Washington. She directs the Computing for Healthy Living and Learning Lab, participates in the Design, Use, Build (DoB) alliance, and holds adjunct appointments in the Information School and Computer Science & Engineering.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology (2008)

Dr. Kientz’s research bridges Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), health informatics, and ubiquitous computing, focusing on reducing user burdens in health, education, and family technologies. Her work spans interaction design for children, accessibility, and inclusive education, employing human-centered design and mixed-methods approaches.

Scientific Awards:

• National Science Foundation CAREER Award
• MIT Technology Review Innovator Under 35
• ACM Distinguished Member
• CHI Academy inductee
• UW College of Engineering Faculty Research Innovator and Teaching Innovator Awards

She currently serves as the UW lead on the NSF and IES $20 million AI Institute for Exceptional Education and the Jacob’s Foundation-funded Connecting the EdTech Research EcoSystem (CERES) Center. Dr. Kientz has also acknowledged the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Coast Salish peoples in her department’s educational activities.