Oliver Alonzo

Oliver Alonzo is an Assistant Professor in the School of Computing at DePaul University. His academic journey includes a Ph.D. in Computing and Information Sciences from the Rochester Institute of Technology, a B.S. in Computer Science from Creighton University with minors in Graphic Design and Musical Theatre. Prior to joining DePaul, he served as a post-doctoral assistant professor at Creighton University and completed internships at Meta (Facebook) and Adobe Research.

Dr. Alonzo's research focuses on Human-Computer Interaction and Computing Accessibility, with particular emphasis on creating technologies that improve digital access for people with disabilities, especially those who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing (DHH). His work spans several key areas:

• Design and evaluation of automatic text simplification tools for DHH readers
• Captioning and visualization of non-speech sounds in multimedia content
• Accessibility solutions for social media platforms
• Tools to assist American Sign Language learners
• Multimedia accessibility in emerging technologies like virtual reality

His recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on developing and evaluating accessibility technologies through rigorous user-centered design with DHH communities. His research has evolved from foundational work on text simplification and sign language interfaces to broader explorations of digital accessibility across multiple platforms and contexts.

Dr. Alonzo has received notable recognition for his work, including:

• CHI 2025 Honorable Mention for research on Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing user experiences with misinformation on social media
• An NSF CRII grant for a two-year project focused on making videos accessible by design for Deaf, Hard-of-hearing, Blind and Low-Vision viewers

As an educator, Dr. Alonzo teaches courses including HCI 440 Introduction to User-Centered Design, HCI 445 User Research Methods, and HCI 511 Accessibility Considerations in HCI. His teaching philosophy emphasizes practical, hands-on learning experiences that connect theoretical concepts to real-world accessibility challenges.

Outside academia, Dr. Alonzo is fluent in Spanish, English, and Portuguese, and is learning American Sign Language. He has a background in musical theatre and enjoys black & white photography, which informs his creative approach to accessibility research.