Women in Computing Workshop

Research funding is central to all of our careers and – in the best-case scenario – enables us to follow our passions, but for many of us, funding systems are also associated with high workloads, uncertainty, and pressure. In my talk, I will reflect on my experiences with different funding systems across countries and career stages, and how they influenced my perspective on academia along with my wellbeing.

Kathrin Gerling is Professor of Human-Computer Interaction and Accessibility at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany. Central to the research of her group is the question how interactive technology can be designed in a way that supports human self-determination, and how we can achieve experiential accessibility – accessibility that strives for equitable experiences, and seeks to provide engaging user experiences for all of us. Her work and that of her team has been recognized through multiple awards, including Best Paper Awards at the leading venue in HCI, the ACM SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, and an ERC Starting Grant. She is a member of the steering committee of CHI PLAY, serves on the editorial board of PACM HCI, and is part of the SIGCHI executive committee as AC for Hybrid.

Are you standing at a crossroad, wondering if you should pursue a PhD or look for a job, continue your career in academia after a postdoc, or join a company? In her talk, Jie will discuss her journey from academia to industry, including what drove her to make these decisions, the gains and pains of job interviews, salary negotiations, and what research in the industry looks like. She will also explain how to balance commercial research while maintaining a passion for publishing in academic venues. Additionally, Jie will share how she manages time and, more precisely, passion in her day-to-day life.

Dr. Jie Li is a human-computer interaction (HCI) researcher who currently serves as the Head of Research at EPAM Netherlands (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jie-li-nl/). She obtained her master’s and PhD degree in Industrial Design Engineering from Delft University of Technology. Her research work focused on designing experiences and developing evaluation methods for emerging technology such as Extended Reality and Human-AI Interactions. Despite her full-time career at EPAM, Jie remains active in the HCI community as a guest professor at universities. She also writes a column for ACM Interactions, titled “Bits to Bites,” where she reflects on HCI research methodologies in both academic and industry contexts. Beyond her research career, Jie is a creative cake artist with 16 years of experience who owns a boutique café called “Cake Researcher” in Delft (https://www.instagram.com/cake_researcher/).

Join Franzi as she openly shares her journey navigating the tech industry as a woman. Through personal anecdotes and practical insights, she'll illuminate the challenges and triumphs faced while pursuing a career aligned with her core values and passions. Franzi will delve into the financial landscape of tech, offering strategies to balance monetary success with personal fulfillment. She'll discuss practical strategies for creating a balanced and rewarding career that honors your personal goals and aspirations.

Franziska Hämmerle is an economic psychologist specialising in the area of usability, user experience and human-computer interaction. She studied psychology at the University of Vienna and is currently pursuing a MAS in Coaching and organizational development at the ZHAW in Zurich. After different positions in the industry, she now works for Google for more than 10 years. She has experience building and leading UXR teams and is passionate about growing people and products and how user-centred thinking shapes organizational structures.