Values-Centered AI Technology & Policy Design

Hello! I am a User-Experience Researcher, AI Policy Analyst, and Minister focused on the intersection of algorithmic fairness, the regulation of high-risk emerging technologies, and online platform design. Collectively, my work develops technical & policy interventions to reduce risk and harm.

As a user-experience researcher, I use qualitative methods and community-based participatory design methods to guide the design of supportive technology for people experiencing times of emotional and mental health crisis. My prior product research includes work on online suicide bereavement support, healthcare data ecosystems, and improving the wellbeing and safety of children and adolescents turning to chatbots for mental health support.

As a policy analyst and strategist, I use qualitative research—like legislative analysis, interviews, and co-design workshops—and computational methods to examine how AI systems impact vulnerable users in real-world settings. I translate my insights into actionable outcomes, including ethical design guidelines, policy briefs, and governance frameworks that support responsible innovation and platform accountability.

As a minister, I am interested in developing moral frameworks for how people make meaning in their AI technology use. I am an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister and a board certified interfaith hospital chaplain. I hold a Masters of Divinity degree and use moral philosophy such as virtue ethics to help inform tech design solutions. I am a coalition builder in the AI policy, ethics, and responsible tech space. I view this coalition-building work as part of my ministry. Through podcasts, investigative journalism, and developing non-profit groups, my calling is to create spaces where leaders from academia, policy, and industry can gather and share ideas.

Nuts & Bolts: I received a BA in Sociology from Sarah Lawrence College, a Masters of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary at Columbia University, a Masters of Science from the University of Colorado Boulder. I additionally received my PhD. in Information Science from the University of Colorado Boulder. My industry experience includes working as a UX researcher for Verizon Media and Yahoo!, and product design consultant for SME’s in Denver, Scotland, and beyond.

Latest Updates

  • April 2025

    • Invited TEDx Talk Speaker: TEDxCU Boulder

    • Company Launch: AI-tocracy, a progressive media company and podcast focused on AI and public policy

  • March 2025

    • Public Press Publication: "5 years on, true counts of COVID-19 deaths remain elusive" in The Conversation

    • Accepted Research Paper: "Navigating Value Elicitation: Insights from Palliative Care Providers" in the Proceedings of The 28th ACM SIGCHI Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work & Social Computing (CSCW)

  • February 2025

    • Research Talk: "Computing the Immeasurable" at the Center for the Informed Public at the University of Washington

  • January 2025

    • Attended Conference: The 2025 ACM International Conference on Supporting Group Work (GROUP)

    • Research Publication: "But Where do We Begin? Guiding Improved Design for End-of-Life Data Planning Approaches" in the Proceedings of GROUP 2025

  • December 2024

    Public Press Publication: "After a suicide, more loved ones are seeking support online. Does it help or harm?" in CU Boulder Today

  • November 2024

    • Launch: The Digital Legacy Clinic at CU Boulder alongside Dr. Jed R. Brubaker. The first center of its kind to provide pro-bono end-of-life data and account management support for families who have lost a loved one

    • Research Publication: "'I hate you. I love you. I’m sorry. I miss you.' Understanding Online Grief Expression Through Suicide Bereavement Letter-Writing Practices" in the Proceedings of The 27th ACM SIGCHI Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work & Social Computing (CSCW)

    • Research Publication: "Designing for Researcher Access in the U.S. Mortality Data Ecosystem" in the Proceedings of The 27th ACM SIGCHI Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work & Social Computing (CSCW)

    • Attended Conference: CSCW 2024