Faculty
Stephen Voida (svoida@colorado.edu) is an Associate Professor and Founding Faculty of the Department of Information Science at CU Boulder. He directs the Too Much Information (TMI) research group, where he and his students study personal information management, personal and group informatics systems, health informatics technologies, and ubiquitous computing. His work has been nominated for best paper awards at CHI 2022 (nominee), CHI 2013 (winner), CHI 2012 (nominee), and CSCW 2008 (nominee) and has been supported by Google Research, the National Science Foundation, and a CCC/CRA Computing Innovation postdoctoral fellowship. He earned his doctorate and master’s degrees in computer science and human–computer interaction, respectively, from the Georgia Institute of Technology and his bachelor’s degree in computer science from Arizona State University. For more information, visit his website. |
PhD Students
Michael Hoefer (michael.hoefer@colorado.edu) is a PhD candidate studying computer and cognitive science. His primary research goal is to create systems and interfaces that facilitate personal development at scale, in both individual and group contexts. He does this through designing, building, deploying, and evaluating reflective personal informatics systems that support holistic reflection on the self, leading to self-knowledge and self-directed behavior change. Michael holds a B.S. and M.S. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Iowa State University, and is a graduate of Boeing’s Engineering Leadership Rotation Program. | |
Kristen (Kit) Lewers (kristen.lewers@colorado.edu) is a second-year Information Science PhD student whose research interests include HCI, information architecture, information overload in studying and disseminating scientific data sets (especially related to biodiversity collapse and climate change), and how data transformation and information architecture can mitigate negative effects. She has an undergraduate degree in English, Linguistics, and Communications with a minor in biology from the University of Mary Washington and participated in the Climate Change and Public Health cohort at Yale University. She worked in Yellowstone National Park for three and a half years and has extensive knowledge of the greater Yellowstone ecosystem’s natural history and sociologic data. Her hobbies include hiking, volunteering, music, and crafting. | |
Tian Xu (tixu6250@colorado.edu) is a third-year PhD student in Information Science. Tian’s research lies at the intersection of human-computer interaction, health informatics, and design, centering on understanding technology-mediated health management strategies in people’s day-to-day lives, designing and measuring novel health support technologies or systems, and examining privacy concerns about health data sharing. Tian holds an M.S. in Information Management from Syracuse University. |
Masters Students
Zoe Fisher (zoe.fisher@colorado.edu) is a first-year Master’s student and incoming PhD student studying Information Science at CU Boulder. Her research passion is the intersection of neurodivergence and technology with a focus on supporting AuDHDers reach their goals and build community. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Southern California. Before starting graduate school, she worked as a software engineer at Meta and Indie Bloom. | |
Raegan Rychecky (raegan.rychecky@colorado.edu) is a Master’s student studying Computer Science through the Bachelor’s-Accelerated Master’s Program. Raegan obtained her B.S. in Computer Science from CU in the spring of 2022 and will graduate in 2023 with her Masters. Her interests in computer Science include software development and data science. Currently, Raegan works as a software developer part time for a financial advisory firm. In her free time, Raegan likes to play basketball, paint, and climb. | |
Estevan Sandoval (estevan.sandovaljr@colorado.edu) is a Master’s student in the Bachelor’s–Accelerated Master’s Program studying Information Science. He holds a B.S. in Information Science with a minor in Spanish from CU. Within the TMI Lab, he contributes to the Bipolar Tech project, an application that is meant to help adolescents who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. His research interests include personal health informatics and bias in machine learning systems. Estevan is currently refining his natural language processing and data analytics skills as he works to pursue a career as a data scientist upon graduation. In his free time he enjoys playing tennis and watching formula 1. |
Undergraduate Students
Anusha Venkateswaran (anusha.venkateswaran@colorado.edu) is a sophomore undergraduate student studying Computer Science and Physics. She is fascinated by quantum computing and interested in its data science applications. Within TMI, Anusha is contributing to prompt optimization in the building of an AI-powered lifestyle time-tracking system that uses GPT-4. |
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Bryce Schumacher (bryce.schumacher@colorado.edu) is a sophomore studying computer science, interested primarily in web development and machine learning. He is contributing to software development and user research for the Bipolar Tech project. In his free time, Bryce enjoys fishing, reading, and learning new things.
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Local High School (BVSD) Research Trainees
Quinn Burns is a Senior at Peak to Peak Charter School. Quinn loves to use technology to solve problems in her areas of interest. She has taken part in many technology competitions, building apps to promote sustainable living. She joined TMI to get more exposure to projects at the the intersection of cognitive science, technology, and health. Outside of school, she is a competitive tennis player, snowboarder, and loves to travel and hike with her family.
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TMI Research Affiliates
Dr. Janghee Cho (janghee.cho@colorado.edu) is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Industrial Design at the National University of Singapore. His primary research falls in the field of human-computer interaction (HCI), with a focus on personal wellness and sustainability concerns. He is interested in understanding how people make sense of data and AI-driven technologies and designing technologies to support critical reflection. | |
Dr. Wendy Norris (wnorris0@naz.edu) is an Assistant Professor of Social Computing at Nazareth College. She is also founding faculty/program co-director of the Institute for Technology, AI and Society and founding faculty/undergraduate advisor of the Ethical Data Science program. A TMI alumna and advisee of Dr. Voida, her research explores how time and temporality are represented in humanitarian socio-technical systems. | |
Dr. Fuji Robledo, LCSW (fuji.robledoyamamoto@colorado.edu) is interested in how data impacts nonprofit organizations that provide direct services to the community (such as a mental health clinic). Fuji earned her doctorate in Information Science at CU Boulder, co-advised by Dr. Amy Voida. Prior to CU, she studied psychology (BS) and clinical social work (MS) at the University of Texas at Austin. She has extensive experience working as a licensed clinical therapist in non-profit settings providing trauma-based therapy to children and families who have experienced abuse. | |
Dr. Tara Walker is an Assistant Professor in Journalism, Strategic Communication, and Media Studies at St. Bonaventure University. Her research focuses on the role of mass communication messages in shaping and reinforcing dominant paradigms regarding mental health and the ethical implications of smartphone technology for tracking mental health, and gender/race/class representations in advertising and entertainment media. | |
Dr. Jason Zietz (jason.zietz@colorado.edu) is an instructor in Information Science; a graduate of CU’s “Triple” PhD program in computer science, cognitive science, and neuroscience; and a TMI alum and advisee of Dr. Voida. Jason’s research explores the intersection of interaction design, mindfulness, and executive cognitive function (decision making) in the context of sustainability. |
TMI Alumni
Venkat Arigela (MS student, Computer Science) enhanced the back-end architecture of the Bipolar Tech data collection platform for his MS degree independent project. [Spring 2020–Fall 2020] | |
Lizzie Bartholomew (BS student, Creative Technology and Design) joined the TMI Lab in Fall 2020 as a Discovery Learning Apprenticeship (DLA) research assistant on the Bipolar Tech project [Fall 2020–Spring 2021] | |
Stephen Barton (BS graduate, Strategic Communication • Media Design • Technology, Arts and Media) participated in graduate student Wendy Norris’ study of crisis informatics, human-computer interaction, social computing, and digital humanitarian networks. [Fall 2017–Spring 2018] | |
Sam Beck (BA student, Political Science with minors in Data Science and Philosophy) worked with Janghee Cho to study well-being and productivity during the COVID-19 working-from-home era and assisted with the development of a mental health informatics application. [Spring 2021] | |
Divya Bhat (BS graduate, Computer Science with a minor in ATLAS’ Creative Technology and Design program) contributed interface design and research study support to the Bipolar Tech and Time Machines projects. [Fall 2021–Spring 2022] | |
Jackson Bilello (BS student, Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Computer Science) collaborated with Michael Hoefer to launch the Dream Informatics project [Spring 2021] | |
Lanea Blackburn (BS graduate, Information Science) completed a senior-level independent study conducting UX research in collaboration with several ongoing lab projects, including Wendy Norris’ study of crisis informatics and a clinical validation study of Bipolar Tech interface designs. [Spring 2020] | |
Angel Dong (MS graduate, Computer Science) helped to develop interfaces for the Personal Informatics for Human Need project as part of her MS project in Computer Science. [Fall 2022–Spring 2023] | |
Cassandra Goodby (MS graduate, Creative Technology and Design (ATLAS Institute); cago6756@colorado.edu) conducted research in technology solutions for mental health and self-care as part of her MS thesis project, MoodIQ. [Spring 2020] | |
Marissa Kelley (BS graduate, Information Science) worked with graduate student Wendy Norris in her study of crisis informatics, human–computer interaction, social computing, and digital humanitarian networks. [Spring 2018–Fall 2018] | |
Helena (Haley) Kwiat(BS student, Computer Science) worked with the lab on interactive time management prototypes. [Summer 2016] | |
Teresa Lim (BS student, Technology, Arts & Media) worked with Lucy Van Kleunen and the bipolar technology research group to imagine novel interfaces for collecting self-reported self-tracking data for the management of serious mental illnesses. With a love for designing, especially in graphics and UX/UI designing, she experiments with cultural and societal ideas on the relationship between different topics ranging from mental health and games to popular culture and digital media. [Summer 2019] | |
Zachary Lyons (BS graduate, Information Science) worked with Wendy Norris to develop a social media bot detector and perform large-scale data standardization in support of automated data analysis for Wendy’s crisis informatics research. After graduation, he hopes to pursue a career in the field of sports or healthcare analytics. [Spring 2019] | |
Sneha Malisetty (BS student, Information Science with minors in Business (Analytics) and ATLAS’ Creative Technologies and Design (CTD) program) who contributed to UX design and front end development for the Bipolar Tech Project. [Fall 2021] | |
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Priya Panati (BS graduate, Information Science) completed a senior-level independent study conducting UX research in collaboration with several ongoing lab projects, including Wendy Norris’ study of crisis informatics and a clinical validation study of Bipolar Tech interface designs. She started a full-time software engineering job at Visa in the summer of 2020. [Spring 2020] | |
Tiffany Phan (BAM/MS student in Computer Science) helped to launch the design and full-stack web development of an application delivering support to students facing challenges with anxiety. She started a full-time software engineering position with Splunk in the summer of 2022. [Fall 2021–Spring 2022]
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Alex Ray (BS+MS student, Computer Science) participated in distributed systems design and implementation projects for the lab from the summer of 2016 through the spring of 2017. For more information, check out his GitHub profile. [Summer 2016–Spring 2017] | |
Raegan Rychecky (MS student in Computer Science) brought her extensive React.js development skills to bear in creating interactive user interfaces time and financial data entry in support of the Personal Informatics for Human Need project. [Spring 2023] | |
Shreyas Savanoor Ravindra (MS student, Computer Science) brought four years of industry experience working as a software engineer to the implementation of and data management strategy for our Bipolar Tech application. [Fall 2021–Spring 2022]
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Ha Tran (BASc graduate, Electrical and Computer Engineering) led the physical prototyping efforts in the TMI Lab as a Discovery Learning Apprenticeship (DLA) research assistant and as a part-time post-baccalaureate research associate. [Summer 2016–Spring 2018] | |
Lucy Van Kleunen (PhD candidate, Computer Science) is developing her primary research interests in computational biology. With the lab, she studied participatory sensing and the intersection of tech and policy embodied in the “smart city” movement. [Fall 2018–Summer 2020] | |
Kexin Zhai (BS graduate cum laude, Information Science) conducted an evaluation study of various tangible interfaces for helping information workers to manage their time for her Honors Thesis in Information Science. [Fall 2019–Spring 2020] |