Enabling Connection in All Its Forms: Intersecting Social Media and Games Research to Center Inclusion in Media Design

The UCI Department of Informatics is proud to present:

Jennifer Pierre

User Experience Researcher

Google

Abstract:

This talk will walk through findings from Dr. Pierre’s dissertation work on youth social media use among minoritized youth, and her more recent work developing a system for evaluating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in games. These findings will be used to highlight how these two areas of research intersected and influenced each other to provide the foundation for thoroughly centering the needs and values of minoritized communities in the design of social and digital media. Defining inclusion in games is a complex and challenging space, and learning from previous work across media studies as well as acknowledging the intersections between games and other forms of media were both integral pieces of the success of the recent inclusion in games project. Applying theory from these intersecting research areas enables researchers to advocate for the needs of minoritized communities in daily work across social media and game design.

Bio:

Jennifer Pierre, Ph.D., is a user experience and human-computer interaction researcher with expertise in social media, games, critical data studies, and social informatics. Her research explores how people, especially underrepresented and minoritized groups, use various forms of media and data to form and maintain communities. She received her doctorate from the Department of Information Studies at UCLA, and holds an MLIS from the same department. Jennifer is currently working as a User Experience Researcher at YouTube. Her work can be found in several top journals and conferences, including CHI, HICSS, PACMHCI CSCW, and Big Data & Society, and has been recognized by ACM SIGCHI, the Ford Foundation, and the Bouchet Honor Society. In addition to and intersected with her research and industry work, Jennifer has fueled her passion for inclusion in STEM, higher education, and tech as a member and leader of several diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.