The hardest problems in technology aren’t technical. They’re human.
I am a social psychologist focused on human–robot interaction. My work brings together rigorous research and real-world behavior to understand how people interpret and respond to autonomous systems, and how those responses shape what actually happens when technology enters everyday life. I study things like trust, perception, and even harm toward robots, with the goal of making systems that work for the people who encounter them.
But what defines my approach is not just the research itself. It’s how I think about the gap between the people building these systems and the people living with them. Most people don’t
have direct experience with AI or robotics, which means their reactions are shaped by assumptions, media narratives,
and incomplete information. I don’t ignore that. I work directly with it.
I make complex ideas clear without flattening them. I translate research into language that is approachable, usable,
and grounded in real-world behavior. My background across the arts, clinical training, and scientific research means I don’t just analyze behavior, I understand how it feels, how it’s expressed, and how it shows up in everyday life.
That perspective shapes how I work. I don’t see human behavior as something to control for. I see it as the signal. If a system doesn’t account for how people actually think and act, it doesn’t matter how advanced it is, it won’t work the
way it’s intended to.
