Kai Lukoff
Assistant Professor, Computer Science & Engineering, Santa Clara University
Updated October 13, 2026.
I research and design technologies that support rather than diminish user agency, i.e., the experience of control over one's actions and their outcomes. Three threads run through this work. First, digital wellbeing: I study how the design of apps and platforms captures user attention, and I build interventions that restore control over screen time, from proof-of-concept redesigns of YouTube to workshop programs I run with students in universities. Second, community-engaged design: I develop co-design methods for place-based augmented reality, centered on the Thámien Ohlone AR Tour, a collaboration with the local Ohlone community to surface Indigenous history on the Santa Clara University campus. Third, generative AI: I audit how these systems represent people (e.g., race and gender across 41 occupations in LLM-generated personas), and I study how students and professionals keep judgment and authorship of their own work while building with AI agents.
2016 – 2022
University of Washington Seattle, WA
Ph.D. in Human Centered Design & Engineering
Dissertation: Designing to Support Sense of Agency for Time Spent on Digital Interfaces
Received ACM SIGCHI Outstanding Dissertation Award, 2023
Co-advisors: Sean A. Munson, Alexis Hiniker
2015 – 2016
University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI
Completed 90 credits towards M.S. in Information
Advisor: Paul Resnick
2004 – 2008
Stanford University Stanford, CA
B.A., Political Science with Honors (minor in Economics)
Advisor: Coit D. Blacker
2022 – Present
Santa Clara University, Department of Computer Science & Engineering Santa Clara, CA
Assistant Professor
Director, Human-Computer Interaction Lab. Founded and convene the lab's industry advisory board (2026–Present): Alvin Wang Graylin (XR technology pioneer), Jofish Kaye (distinguished HCI research scientist), Lou Marzano (Chief Hardware Officer, Matterport), Zak Murase (Partner, AZCA), Keren Ruth Wong (Partnerships, IDEO Play Lab), and two recent lab alumni, Cinthya Jauregui (robotics R&D) and Madison Nguyen (UX design, F5).
Faculty Director, AI Kitchen (2025–Present). Cross-disciplinary program providing students from all majors hands-on experience with AI tools through mentorship, collaborative projects, and a year-end showcase.
2021 – 2022
University of Washington, Dept. of Human-Centered Design & Engineering Seattle, WA
Co-Instructor
2016 – 2021
University of Washington, Dept. of Human-Centered Design & Engineering Seattle, WA
Graduate Student Research Assistant (2016–2021); Teaching Assistant (2017–2021)
2018
Mozilla, Emerging Technologies Group Mountain View, CA
User Research Intern, Firefox Voice Project
Supervisors: Dr. Janice Tsai, Dr. Jofish Kaye
2016
National University of Singapore, BIGHEART Singapore
Research Intern
Supervisor: Dr. Brian Y. Lim
2012 – 2015
Wandoujia Mobile Technology (acquired by Alibaba) Beijing, China
Director of International Product (2013–2015); Product Manager (2012–2013). Grew Android product from zero to 7M users in SE Asia. Led UX research in Thailand, Indonesia, and India.
2026
Top Faculty Paper, Mobile Communication Division, International Communication Association (ICA)
2024
Niantic 8th Wall Grand Prize, Explore Together Challenge, Thámien Ohlone AR Tour
Auggie Award Finalist: Societal Impact Category, AWE XR USA Conference
Best Movie Award, ACM CHI 2024
Best Paper Honorable Mention, ACM CHI 2024 (top 5%)
2023
Outstanding Dissertation Award, ACM SIGCHI
Best Paper Honorable Mention, ACM CHI 2023 (top 5%)
2022
Graduate Student Award of Excellence for Innovation, Dept. of HCDE, University of Washington
2019
Best Paper Honorable Mention, ACM CHI 2019 (top 5%)
2016
Moth StorySLAM Champion, Ann Arbor, MI
2008
Chinese Scholarship Council Scholarship, Shanghai Jiaotong University (2008–2009)
2002
National First Place Winner, Holocaust Remembrance Project Essay
† Student researcher in the SCU HCI Lab at the time of the work.
Note: Unlike most academic fields, premier conferences in Computer Science and Human-Computer Interaction are highly selective venues for archival research, with top venues typically accepting fewer than 30% of submissions. These conferences often exceed journals in selectivity, visibility, and impact (see CRA Best Practices Memo).
2026
[P.20] The Missing Link of XR: Empathy-Driven Reality for XR and Beyond.
Yun Suen Pai, Tamil Selvan Gunasekaran, Jiashuo Cao, Kunal Gupta, Andreia Valente, Ken Jen Lee, Giulia Barbareschi, Kai Lukoff, Lingyuan Li, Ruofei Du, Fannie Liu, Jennifer Day, Tanner Person, Johann Wentzel, Misha Sra, Yuhang Zhao, Theophilus Teo, Elisabeth André, Mark Armstrong, Mark Billinghurst, Danielle Lottridge, Huidong Bai, Kinga Skierś, Erica Principe Cruz, Takuji Narumi, Anish Kundu, and Kouta Minamizawa.
ISMAR 2026 – IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality [To appear].
2026
[P.19] Can't Stop: How Context and Individual Traits Influence Effectiveness of Different Gradual Interventions for Infinite Scrolling on Short-Form Video Platforms.
Luca-Maxim Meinhardt† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Manuela Dragic, Mark Colley, Kai Lukoff, and Enrico Rukzio.
IMWUT 2026 – Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies, Vol. 10, Issue 3, Article 140 (September 2026), 36 pages.
2026
[P.18] Generating the Modal Worker: A Cross-Model Audit of Race and Gender in LLM-Generated Personas Across 41 Occupations.
Ilona van der Linden† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Sahana Kumar† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Arnav Dixit† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Aadi Sudan† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Smruthi Danda† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Julianna Dietrich† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), David C. Anastasiu, and Kai Lukoff.
FAccT 2026 – ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency (33% acceptance rate).
2025
[P.17] The Digital Attention Heuristics: Supporting the User's Attention by Design.
Alberto Monge Roffarello, Luigi De Russis, and Kai Lukoff.
TOCHI 2025 – ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction.
2024
[P.16] “I Finally Felt I Had the Tools to Control These Urges”: Empowering Students to Achieve Their Device Use Goals With the Reduce Digital Distraction Workshop.
Ulrik Lyngs, Kai Lukoff, Petr Slovak, Michael Inzlicht, Maureen Freed, Hannah Andrews, Claudine Tinsman, et al.
CHI 2024 – Proceedings of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (26% acceptance rate).
[Best Paper Honorable Mention Award]
2024
[P.15] Digital Self-Control in Danish High Schools: A Pilot Intervention Study.
Ulrik Lyngs, Helene Willadsen, Maya Møller-Jensen, and Kai Lukoff.
NordiCHI 2024 – Adjunct Proceedings of the 2024 Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction.
2024
[P.14] Designing for Sustained Motivation: A Review of Self-Determination Theory in Behaviour Change Technologies.
Lize Alberts, Ulrik Lyngs, and Kai Lukoff.
IwC 2024 – Interacting with Computers, Vol.~38 (2026), pp.~447–468.
2023
[P.13] SwitchTube: A Proof-of-Concept System Introducing “Adaptable Commitment Interfaces” as a Tool for Digital Wellbeing.
Kai Lukoff, Ulrik Lyngs, Karina Shirokova, Raveena Rao, Larry Tian, Himanshu Zade, Sean A. Munson, and Alexis Hiniker.
CHI 2023 – Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (24% acceptance rate).
[Best Paper Honorable Mention Award]
2023
[P.12] Defining and Identifying Attention Capture Deceptive Designs in Digital Interfaces.
Alberto Monge Roffarello, Kai Lukoff, and Luigi De Russis.
CHI 2023 – Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (24% acceptance rate).
2022
[P.11] The Goldilocks Level of Support: Using User Reviews, Ratings, and Installation Numbers to Investigate Digital Self-Control Tools.
Ulrik Lyngs, Kai Lukoff, Laura Csuka, Petr Slovak, Max Van Kleek, and Nigel Shadbolt.
IJHCS 2022 – International Journal of Human-Computer Studies.
2022
[P.10] Monitoring Screen Time or Redesigning It? Two Approaches to Supporting Intentional Social Media Use.
Mingrui (Ray) Zhang, Kai Lukoff, Raveena Rao, Amanda Baughan, and Alexis Hiniker.
CHI 2022 – Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (22% acceptance rate).
2022
[P.9] “I Don't Even Remember What I Read”: How Design Influences Dissociation on Social Media.
Amanda Baughan, Mingrui (Ray) Zhang, Raveena Rao, Kai Lukoff, Anastasia Schaadhardt, Lisa Butler, and Alexis Hiniker.
CHI 2022 – Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (22% acceptance rate).
2021
[P.8] How the Design of YouTube Influences User Sense of Agency.
Kai Lukoff, Ulrik Lyngs, Himanshu Zade, J. Vera Liao, James Choi, Kaiyue Fan, Sean A. Munson, and Alexis Hiniker.
CHI 2021 – Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (26% acceptance rate).
2020
[P.7] From Ancient Contemplative Practice to the App Store: Designing a Digital Container for Mindfulness.
Kai Lukoff, Ulrik Lyngs, Stefania Gueorguieva, Erika S. Dillman, Alexis Hiniker, and Sean A. Munson.
DIS 2020 – Proceedings of the ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference (24% acceptance rate).
2020
[P.6] “I Just Want to Hack Myself to Not Get Distracted”: Evaluating Design Interventions for Self-Control on Facebook.
Ulrik Lyngs, Kai Lukoff, Petr Slovak, William Seymour, Helena Webb, Marina Jirotka, Jun Zhao, Max Van Kleek, and Nigel Shadbolt.
CHI 2020 – Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (23% acceptance rate).
2020
[P.5] Meta-analysis of Technology-Enabled Mindfulness-Based Programs for Negative Affect and Mindful Awareness.
David E. Victorson, Christina M. Sauer, Lauren Wolters, Carly Maletich, Kai Lukoff, and Nat Sufrin.
Mindfulness 2020 – Mindfulness.
2019
[P.4] Self-Control in Cyberspace: Applying Dual Systems Theory to a Review of Digital Self-Control Tools.
Ulrik Lyngs, Kai Lukoff, Petr Slovak, Reuben Binns, Adam Slack, Michael Inzlicht, Max Van Kleek, and Nigel Shadbolt.
CHI 2019 – Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (24% acceptance rate).
[Best Paper Honorable Mention Award]
2018
[P.3] TableChat: Mobile Food Journaling to Facilitate Family Support for Healthy Eating.
Kai Lukoff, Taoxi Li, Yuan Zhuang, and Brian Y. Lim.
CSCW 2018 – Proceedings of the ACM: Human-Computer Interaction (26% acceptance rate).
2018
[P.2] What Makes Smartphone Use Meaningful or Meaningless?
Kai Lukoff, Cissy Yu, Julie Kientz, and Alexis Hiniker.
UbiComp 2018 – Proceedings of the ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing (29% acceptance rate).
2017
[P.1] Gender Norms and Attitudes about Childcare Activities Presented on Father Blogs.
Kai Lukoff, Carol Moser, and Sarita Schoenebeck.
CHI 2017 – Proceedings of the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (25% acceptance rate).
Lightly reviewed contributions. The type of each (workshop paper, workshop or meet-up proposal, panel, poster, video showcase) is noted at the start of its venue line.
2026
[W.21] The Workshop Without Its Master: Context Provenance as the Neglected Layer in Agent-Mediated Work.
Kai Lukoff.
CSCW 2026 – Workshop paper, Workshop on “Nobody Did This”: Contribution, Originality, and Accountability in Agent-Mediated Collaboration, ACM Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing [To appear].
2026
[W.20] “Dear Professor Lukoff”: GenAI and the Collapse of Costly Signals in Communication.
Kai Lukoff.
CSCW 2026 – Workshop paper, Workshop on Broader Impacts of GenAI in Communication, ACM Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing [To appear].
2026
[W.19] Jacaranda: Grafting User-Editable Web Experiences Across Sites.
Xinqi Zhang† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Mingyuan Zhong, Longjie Guo, Bryan Min, Yuanhao Zhang, and Kai Lukoff.
UIST 2026 – Poster, Adjunct Proceedings of the ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (46.1% acceptance rate) [To appear].
2026
[W.18] User Agency in Runtime Malleable Software Under Change Aversion.
Xinqi Zhang† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Bryan Min, Shizhao (Lawrence) Liu† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), and Kai Lukoff.
CHI 2026 – Workshop paper, Workshop on “What Does Generative UI Mean for HCI Practice?”, ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
2026
[W.17] Bridge Over Troubled Water: Aligning Commercial Incentives With Ethical Design Practice To Combat Deceptive Patterns.
Thomas Eßmeyer, Johanna Gunawan, Colin M. Gray, Lorena Sánchez Chamorro, Alberto Monge Roffarello, Katie Seaborn, Hauke Sandhaus, Kai Lukoff, Gian-Luca Savino, Shruthi Sai Chivukula, and Satoshi Nakamura.
CHI 2026 – Workshop proposal (co-organizer), Extended Abstracts of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
2026
[W.16] Generative Design and Vibe Coding: Rethinking The Design-Development Divide for UI Prototyping.
Xinqi Zhang† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Hariharan Subramonyam, Advait Sarkar, Ian Drosos, Zichao Wang, Kyungho Lee, Veronica Pimenova, Xiang `Anthony' Chen, and Kai Lukoff.
CHI 2026 – Meet-up proposal (co-organizer), Extended Abstracts of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
2025
[W.15] Co-Design as Community Empowerment: The Thámien Ohlone AR Tour and Indigenous Collaboration in HCI.
Kai Lukoff.
CHI 2025 – Workshop paper, Workshop on Weaving Indigeneity and Culture into the Fabric of HCI Futures, ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
2025
[W.14] Rethinking Parental Control: Teen Agency in Mobile Technology and Digital Well-Being.
Shizhao (Lawrence) Liu† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Luca-Maxim Meinhardt† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Meziah Ruby Cristobal† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Xinqi Zhang† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), and Kai Lukoff.
CHI 2025 – Workshop paper, Workshop on Mobile Technology and Teens: Understanding the Changing Needs of Sociocultural and Technical Landscape, ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
2025
[W.13] Community Empowerment through Location-Based AR: The Thámien Ohlone AR Tour.
Kai Lukoff and Xinqi Zhang† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher).
CHI 2025 – Workshop paper, Workshop on Purposeful XR: Affordances, Challenges, and Speculations for an Ethical Future, ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
2024
[W.12] Sociotechnical Considerations for SLAM Anchors in Location-Based AR.
Tiffany T. Nguyen† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Cinthya Jauregui† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Sarah Hazel Sallee† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Mohan Raj Chandrasekar† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Liam A'Hearn† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Dominic Jonathan Woetzel† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Pinak Paliwal† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Madison Nguyen† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Isabella `Amne Gomez† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Xinqi Zhang† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Lee M. Panich, Danielle M. Heitmuller, Amy Lueck, and Kai Lukoff.
CHI 2024 – Workshop paper, Workshop on With or Without Permission: Site-Specific Augmented Reality for Social Justice, ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
2024
[W.11] We Are Still Here: The Thámien Ohlone Augmented Reality Tour.
Cinthya Jauregui† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Tiffany T. Nguyen† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Sarah Hazel Sallee† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Mohan Raj Chandrasekar† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Liam A'Hearn† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Dominic Jonathan Woetzel† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Pinak Paliwal† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Shea MacDonald† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Madison Nguyen† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Lee M. Panich, Danielle M. Heitmuller, Amy Lueck, and Kai Lukoff.
CHI 2024 – Video Showcase, Extended Abstracts of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
[Best Movie Award]
2024
[W.10] With or Without Permission: Site-Specific Augmented Reality for Social Justice.
Rafael M. L. Silva, Ana María Cárdenas Gasca, Joshua A. Fisher, Erica Principe Cruz, Cinthya Jauregui† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Amy Lueck, Fannie Liu, Andrés Monroy-Hernández, and Kai Lukoff.
CHI 2024 – Workshop proposal (co-organizer), Extended Abstracts of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
2023
[W.9] Empowering Adolescents to Self-Regulate Their Use of Digital Devices: A Pilot Study in Danish High Schools.
Ulrik Lyngs, Maya Møller-Jensen, Kai Lukoff, and Helene Willadsen.
DMDM 2023 – Abstract, Digital Media and Developing Minds International Scientific Congress, Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development, Washington, DC.
2022
[W.8] Leveraging Self-Regulation Research When Designing for Digital Wellbeing.
Ulrik Lyngs and Kai Lukoff.
AVI 2022 – Workshop paper, Workshop on Designing for Meaningful Interactions and Digital Wellbeing, International Conference on Advanced Visual Interfaces.
2022
[W.7] Designing to Support Autonomy and Reduce Psychological Reactance in Digital Self-Control Tools.
Kai Lukoff, Ulrik Lyngs, and Lize Alberts.
CHI 2022 – Workshop paper, Workshop on Self-Determination Theory in HCI: Shaping a Research Agenda, ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
2021
[W.6] What Can CHI Do About Dark Patterns?
Kai Lukoff, Alexis Hiniker, Colin M. Gray, Arunesh Mathur, and Shruthi Sai Chivukula.
CHI 2021 – Workshop proposal (lead organizer), Extended Abstracts of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
2021
[W.5] Addressing Present Bias in Movie Recommender Systems and Beyond.
Kai Lukoff.
IUI 2021 – Workshop paper, HUMANIZE: Transparency and Explainability in Adaptive Systems through User Modeling Grounded in Psychological Theory, Joint Proceedings of the ACM IUI 2021 Workshops, CEUR Workshop Proceedings, Vol.~2903.
2020
[W.4] The ReDD Workshop: A Template for Supporting People in Regaining Control Over Digital Device Use.
Ulrik Lyngs, Maureen Freed, Kai Lukoff, Max Van Kleek, and Petr Slovak.
CHI 2020 – Workshop paper, Workshop on Technology Ecosystems: Rethinking Resources for Mental Health, ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
2019
[W.3] Designing for Digital Wellbeing: A Research & Practice Agenda.
Marta E. Cecchinato, John Rooksby, Alexis Hiniker, Sean Munson, Kai Lukoff, Luigina Ciolfi, Anja Thieme, and Daniel Harrison.
CHI 2019 – Workshop proposal (co-organizer), Extended Abstracts of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
2018
[W.2] Tracking Together with Close Ties as an Act of Solidarity.
Kai Lukoff.
CSCW 2018 – Workshop paper, Workshop on Social Issues in Personal Informatics: Design, Data, and Infrastructure, ACM Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing.
2018
[W.1] Beyond `Engagement' Metrics: How Can We Design Technology for Meaningful Experiences?
Kai Lukoff.
CHI 2018 – Symposium paper, 3rd Symposium on Computing and Mental Health, ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
2026
Generating the Modal Worker: A Cross-Model Audit of Race and Gender in LLM-Generated Personas Across 41 Occupations.
Ilona van der Linden† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Sahana Kumar† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Arnav Dixit† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Aadi Sudan† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Smruthi Danda† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Julianna Dietrich† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), David C. Anastasiu, and Kai Lukoff.
BayLearn 2026 – Poster, 15th Annual Bay Area Machine Learning Symposium, Santa Clara University (peer-reviewed) [To appear].
2026
Cross-National Patterns of Voluntary Disconnection in the Digital Age: A Comparative Study of Nine Countries.
Malene Hornstrup Jespersen, Minh Hao Nguyen, Alex Beattie, Mahmut Bingöl, Osman Bor, Veysel Bozan, Francesca Comunello, Błażej Dyczewski, Francesca Ieracitano, Sueun Jang, Katarzyna Kopecka-Piech, Hilary Le† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Uichin Lee, Kai Lukoff, Daniela Marella, and Mora Matassi.
ICA 2026 – Paper presentation, Mobile Communication Division, 76th Annual Conference of the International Communication Association, Cape Town (peer-reviewed).
[Top Faculty Paper, Mobile Communication Division]
2026
Phone Face-Down: How College Students with ADHD Regulate Attention in Everyday Digital Environments.
Shizhao (Lawrence) Liu† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Nishi Goyal† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Javely Tejeda Benitez† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Inayah Haq† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Paul C. Ezeamii, Sonia Rubens, and Kai Lukoff.
UbiComp & Health 2026 – Poster, UbiComp and Health Symposium, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, NY.
2026
Race and Gender in LLM-Generated Personas: A Large-Scale Audit of 41 Occupations.
Ilona van der Linden† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Julianna Dietrich† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Sahana Kumar† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Aadi Sudan† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Arnav Dixit† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), David C. Anastasiu, and Kai Lukoff.
TETHICON 2026 – Poster and breakout session, TETHICON Tech Ethics Research Conference, McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society, Stanford University.
2026
SMAR: A Web-Based Scraper for Analyzing the Mobile App Ecosystem.
Johan Kou† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Ella Jackson† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Raphael Kusuma† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Jeshwin Prince† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Vedant Vivek Kandge† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Rakshitha Srinivasa† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), and Kai Lukoff.
TETHICON 2026 – Poster and live demo, TETHICON Tech Ethics Research Conference, McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society, Stanford University.
2025
Who's the F(AI)rest of Them All? A Large-Scale Analysis of Racial and Gender Bias in AI-Generated User Personas.
Ilona van der Linden† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Julianna Dietrich† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Sahana Kumar† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Aadi Sudan† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Arnav Dixit† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Smruthi Danda† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), David C. Anastasiu, and Kai Lukoff.
BayLearn 2025 – Poster, 14th Annual Bay Area Machine Learning Symposium, Santa Clara University (peer-reviewed).
2025
The Thámien Ohlone AR Tour.
Danielle M. Heitmuller, Kai Lukoff, Amy Lueck, and Lee M. Panich.
UFVA 2025 – New Media Exhibition, 79th Annual Conference of the University Film & Video Association, Prairie View A&M University (juried; presented by Heitmuller).
2025
Reimagining Land Acknowledgment: Co-Designing Location-Based AR with Indigenous Communities.
Kai Lukoff, Sean Hauze, Madison Nguyen† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), and Isabella `Amne Gomez† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher); moderated by Tiffany T. Nguyen† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher).
MXR 2025 – Panel, Meaningful XR Conference, University of California, Davis (peer-reviewed).
2025
Co-Designing Location-Based Augmented Reality as Community Empowerment: The Thámien Ohlone AR Tour.
Kai Lukoff, Madison Nguyen† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Sarah Hazel Sallee† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Prakriti Patnaik† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Dominic Jonathan Woetzel† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), and Xinqi Zhang† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher).
MXR 2025 – Poster, Meaningful XR Conference, University of California, Davis (peer-reviewed).
2024
Virtual Campus Tours: Designing for Underrepresented Students to Feel a Sense of Belonging at College.
Luke Ponssen† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Varnika Sirasala† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Jenny Dinh-Tran† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Kidus Solomon† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Joshua Panicker† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Jiehui Ma† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Trisha Nguyen† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), and Kai Lukoff.
MXR 2024 – Poster, Meaningful XR Conference, Stanford University (peer-reviewed).
2024
Location-Based Augmented Reality for Social Justice: The Thámien Ohlone AR Tour.
Cinthya Jauregui† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Dominic Jonathan Woetzel† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Tiffany T. Nguyen† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Mohan Raj Chandrasekar† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Sarah Hazel Sallee† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Xinqi Zhang† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Liam A'Hearn† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Pinak Paliwal† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Shea MacDonald† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Madison Nguyen† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Isabella `Amne Gomez† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher), Lee M. Panich, Amy Lueck, Danielle M. Heitmuller, and Kai Lukoff.
MXR 2024 – Poster, Meaningful XR Conference, Stanford University (peer-reviewed).
2024
Digital Tools for Co-Creating Ohlone Heritage Tours at Santa Clara University.
Lee M. Panich, Amy Lueck, Kai Lukoff, Danielle M. Heitmuller, and Isabella Gomez† (SCU HCI Lab student researcher).
SCA 2024 – Poster, 58th Annual Meeting of the Society for California Archaeology, Riverside, CA (presented by Panich).
2022
[D.1] Designing to Support Sense of Agency for Time Spent on Digital Interfaces.
Kai Lukoff.
Ph.D. Dissertation – University of Washington.
[ACM SIGCHI Outstanding Dissertation Award, 2023]
2026
Clare Boothe Luce Scholar Award, SCU ($20,000) Faculty Mentor
Thámien Ohlone Augmented Reality Tour (Student Researcher: Grace Fujii)
2026
Regents Experiential Learning Initiative, SCU ($15,000) Program Director
AI Kitchen
2026
Teaching and Technology Innovation Grant, SCU ($6,000) Co-PI
Discernment in the AI Coding Classroom: A Cross-School Curriculum at SCU (with Haibing Lu)
2026
NSF CISE REU Student Funding ($10,000) PI
Undergraduate researcher for the Systematic Mobile App Review (SMAR) project (NSF #2348493)
2026
Responsible AI (R-AI) Summer Undergraduate Research, SCU ($7,200) PI
Summer undergraduate research on responsible AI (Student Researcher: Tiffany Le)
2026
Louie Family Fund for AI Research ($15,000) PI
Gift supporting summer AI research with students in the HCI Lab
2025
ACLS Digital Justice Development Grants ($92,221) Co-PI
Thámien Ohlone Augmented Reality Tour
2025
Hackworth Faculty Grant, Santa Clara University ($5,000) PI
Representational Bias in AI Text-Generation: Race and Gender Across Occupations (Student Researcher: Sahana Kumar)
2025
Whitham Family Collaborative Award (Track 2), SCU ($25,000) PI
The Ohlone Augmented Reality Campus Tour
2024
National Science Foundation ($174,555) PI
The Systematic Mobile App Review (SMAR) Research Method
2024
Whitham Family Collaborative Award (Track 2), SCU ($35,000) PI
The Ohlone Augmented Reality Campus Tour
2024
Niantic Inc., 8th Wall ($2,500) Project Director
Grand Prize, Explore Together Challenge
2024
Kuehler Undergrad Research, SCU ($6,360) PI
Co-Design Methods to Create Augmented Reality Tours for Social Justice (Student Researcher: Tiffany Nguyen)
2024
REAL Undergrad Research, SCU ($6,000) PI
A Day Reconstruction Method Study of Digital Temptations (Student Researcher: Heather Lyons)
2024
Regents Experiential Learning Initiative, SCU ($10,000) Program Director
Extended Reality at the AWE USA Conference
2024
Stitt Family Philanthropic Gift ($150,000) Program Director
Stitt Family Fellowship Program for the Human-Computer Interaction Lab
2024
2FURS Undergrad Research, SCU ($1,000) PI
Co-Design Methods to Create Augmented Reality Tours for Social Justice
2023
Whitham Family Collaborative Award (Track 1), SCU ($30,000) PI
The Ohlone Augmented Reality Campus Tour
2020
Google Faculty Research Award ($76,502) Lead Researcher
PhoneBalance: A Program for Supporting Families in Self-Nudging Smartphone Use
Proposal co-authored with Professor Sean Munson
Total Awarded: $687,338
F22, Sp25
Human-Computer Interaction (CSEN 277) – Graduate; 31 students (F22), 35 students (Sp25)
W25, W26
Human-Computer Interaction (CSEN 129, lecture and two CSEN 129L lab sections) – Undergraduate; 29 students per offering
Sp23
Special Topics: Attention Management Tools (CSEN 296A) – Graduate
F23–F24, Sp26
Software Engineering (CSEN 174, lecture and two CSEN 174L lab sections) – Undergraduate; 5 quarters, 29–35 students per offering (163 total)
F22
Abstract Data Types and Data Structures (CSEN 12) – Undergraduate
2021
User Research and Evaluation Studio (TECHIN 523)
Co-instructor with Prof. Julie Kientz
2018–2019
User Research and Evaluation Studio (TECHIN 523)
Teaching assistant for Prof. Julie Kientz
2018
The History & Future of Technology (TECHIN 522)
Teaching assistant for Prof. David Ribes
2026
The AI Kitchen: A Welcoming Space for Hands-On AI Learning.
Kai Lukoff, Sanjiv Das, Yi Fang, Jeremy Kemp, Tiffany Le, Tripti Agrawal, Misa Truong, Espy Aguilar, Linus Wong, Franco Garcia Brito, and Bridget Hestad.
ATXpo 2026 – IdeaLab, 13th Annual Academic Technology Expo, Stanford University [To appear].
2026
From Chatbots to Agents: Teaching Students to Supervise AI.
Kai Lukoff, Xinqi Zhang, and Lawrence Liu.
ATXpo 2026 – IdeaLab, 13th Annual Academic Technology Expo, Stanford University [To appear].
2026
Slide Deck Recipes with Claude Design.
Kai Lukoff.
AI Kitchen 2026 – Tutorial, Taste Test session, AI Kitchen, Santa Clara University, April 24, 2026.
2025
From Peripheral Participants to Co-Authors: Teaching Undergraduate Research through Communities of Practice.
Kai Lukoff.
ATXpo 2025 – IdeaLab, 12th Annual Academic Technology Expo, San José State University.
2024
Reimagining Campus Narratives with Augmented Reality: The Thámien Ohlone AR Tour.
Kai Lukoff, Danielle M. Heitmuller, Amy Lueck, and Lee M. Panich.
ATXpo 2024 – IdeaLab, 11th Annual Academic Technology Expo, UC San Francisco.
Each entry lists the student's co-authored publications (IDs as above) and posters (by venue), then their program. Quarters: F = Fall, W = Winter, Sp = Spring, Su = Summer.
F26 – Present
Nazia Tabassum Toma | Computer Science & Engineering
Research area: digital wellbeing.
F24 – Present
Shizhao (Lawrence) Liu | W.14, W.18; UbiComp & Health 2026 poster | Computer Science & Engineering
Research area: digital wellbeing and attention management.
W24 – Present
Xinqi (Kiki) Zhang | W.12, W.13, W.14, W.16, W.18, W.19; MXR 2024 and MXR 2025 posters | Computer Science & Engineering
Research area: generative AI for UI design and prototyping.
W24 – Sp25
Ilona van der Linden | P.18; BayLearn 2025, TETHICON 2026, BayLearn 2026 posters | M.S. Computer Science & Engineering
Thesis on race and gender bias in LLM-generated personas, completed June 2025. First author of P.18.
Sp26 – Present
Rakshitha Srinivasa | TETHICON 2026 poster | M.S. Computer Science & Engineering
F25 – Sp26
Julianna Dietrich | P.18; BayLearn 2025, TETHICON 2026, BayLearn 2026 posters | M.S. Computer Science & Engineering
Su25 – Sp26
Smruthi Danda | P.18; BayLearn 2025, BayLearn 2026 posters | M.S. Computer Science & Engineering
Sp25 – Sp26
Ella Jackson | TETHICON 2026 poster | M.A. Applied Psychology
Next position: Operations Associate, Ekho
Sp25 – Present
Raphael Kusuma | TETHICON 2026 poster | M.S. Computer Science & Engineering
W25 – Present
Vedant Vivek Kandge | TETHICON 2026 poster | M.S. Computer Science & Engineering
Su23 – W24
Jiehui Ma | MXR 2024 poster | M.S. Computer Science & Engineering
Sp23 – Su24
Mohan Raj Chandrasekar | W.11, W.12; MXR 2024 poster | M.S. Computer Science & Engineering
Best Movie Award, CHI 2024 (for W.11)
W23 – Sp24
Cinthya Jauregui | W.10, W.11, W.12; MXR 2024 poster | M.S. Engineering Management (B.S. 2022)
Best Movie Award, CHI 2024 (for W.11)
F22 – F23
Trisha Nguyen | MXR 2024 poster | B.S. Computer Science & Engineering (University Honors Program)
Continued as an M.S. Engineering Management directed research student, F23.
Sp26
Inayah Haq | UbiComp & Health 2026 poster | B.S. Web Design and Engineering
Co-mentored with Shizhao (Lawrence) Liu
Sp26
Javely Tejeda Benitez | UbiComp & Health 2026 poster | B.S. Computer Science
Co-mentored with Shizhao (Lawrence) Liu
Su25 – Sp26
Aadi Sudan | P.18; BayLearn 2025, TETHICON 2026, BayLearn 2026 posters | B.S. Computer Science
Sp25 – Sp26
Sahana Kumar | P.18; BayLearn 2025, TETHICON 2026, BayLearn 2026 posters | B.S. Computer Science and French Studies
Sp25 – Present
Johan Kou | TETHICON 2026 poster | B.S. Computer Science & Engineering
Project lead, SMAR
Sp25 – Sp26
Jeshwin Prince | TETHICON 2026 poster | B.S. Computer Science & Engineering
Sp25 – Present
Nishi Goyal | UbiComp & Health 2026 poster | B.S. Web Design and Engineering
CRA UR2PhD undergraduate research course, Summer 2026. Co-mentored with Shizhao (Lawrence) Liu
F24 – Sp26
Arnav Dixit | P.18; BayLearn 2025, TETHICON 2026, BayLearn 2026 posters | B.S. Computer Science
Su24 – Present
Prakriti Patnaik | MXR 2025 poster | B.S. Computer Science & Engineering
W24 – Present
Isabella `Amne Gomez | W.12; MXR 2024 poster; MXR 2025 panel | B.A. Philosophy and Environmental Studies
Ohlone student researcher and community partner on the Thámien Ohlone AR Tour
W24 – Present
Madison Nguyen | W.11, W.12; MXR 2024 and MXR 2025 posters; MXR 2025 panel | B.S. Computer Science & Engineering
Best Movie Award, CHI 2024 (for W.11). Outstanding Computer Science and Engineering Senior Award, 2025
W24 – Su24
Kidus Solomon | MXR 2024 poster | B.S. Psychology
Speaker, AWE USA 2024
W24 – Sp24
Jenny Dinh-Tran | MXR 2024 poster | B.S. Psychology
Speaker, AWE USA 2024
W24 – Su24
Shea MacDonald | W.11; MXR 2024 poster | B.S. Economics
Best Movie Award, CHI 2024 (for W.11)
Su23 – Su26
Sarah Hazel Sallee | W.11, W.12; MXR 2024 and MXR 2025 posters | B.A. English and Philosophy
Best Movie Award, CHI 2024 (for W.11). Next position: J.D. student, Santa Clara University School of Law
Su23 – Sp25
Hilary Le | ICA 2026 paper | B.S. Computer Science & Engineering
Sp23 – Sp25
Dominic Jonathan Woetzel | W.11, W.12; MXR 2024 and MXR 2025 posters | B.S. Computer Science
Best Movie Award, CHI 2024 (for W.11)
Sp23 – Sp24
Liam A'Hearn | W.11, W.12; MXR 2024 poster | B.S. Computer Science & Engineering
Best Movie Award, CHI 2024 (for W.11). Next position: M.S. Computer Science, Georgia Tech
Sp23 – Sp24
Luke Ponssen | MXR 2024 poster (first author) | B.S. Computer Science & Engineering
W23 – Present
Tiffany T. Nguyen | W.11, W.12; MXR 2024 poster; MXR 2025 panel | B.S. Computer Engineering
Best Movie Award, CHI 2024 (for W.11). Co-mentored with Lee M. Panich
W25 – Sp26
Luca-Maxim Meinhardt | W.14, P.19 | Visiting Ph.D. student, Ulm University (Germany)
In residence at SCU, Winter 2025; continued remotely. Ph.D. 2026 (I served as external examiner)
Sp24 – Sp25
Meziah Ruby Cristobal | W.14 | Volunteer researcher
Next position: Ph.D. student, Human Centered Design & Engineering, University of Washington
W24 – Su24
Joshua Panicker | MXR 2024 poster | High school student
Su23 – W25
Pinak Paliwal | W.11, W.12; MXR 2024 poster | High school student
Best Movie Award, CHI 2024 (for W.11). Next position: undergraduate, UC Berkeley
Su23 – Su24
Varnika Sirasala | MXR 2024 poster | High school student
Also supervised 19 more students (13 M.S., 6 B.S.) in for-credit directed research or senior design projects (F23 – F26), none of whom have co-authored a publication yet.
2026 – Present
Rafael M. L. Silva (University of Washington, Human Centered Design & Engineering) | External Ph.D. committee member
Sp26
Luca-Maxim Meinhardt (Ulm University, Germany) | External examiner; defended April 2026
2026
Associate Chair, Design Track, ACM CHI 2026
Associate Editor, Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction (PACMHCI), CSCW (2026–Present)
Mentor, Doctoral Consortium, ACM CSCW 2026, Salt Lake City
Lead Organizer, San Francisco Bay Area HCI Research Gathering, Santa Clara University (150 attendees)
Faculty Associate for AI, Faculty Development, Santa Clara University (2026–2027). Mentor an AI-Exploration Grant faculty cohort and support AI-focused teaching and programming university-wide.
2025
Associate Chair, Design Track, ACM CSCW 2025
Co-Organizer, San Francisco Bay Area HCI Research Gathering, UC Berkeley
Member, Expert Working Group on Connecting Researchers & Practitioners to Catalyze Actionable Research, convened by the Prosocial Design Network, Trust and Safety Foundation, and Integrity Institute (2025–2026). One of 17 participants contributing to the group's report (released May 2026).
2024
Co-Organizer, San Francisco Bay Area HCI Research Gathering, Stanford University
2023
Associate Chair, Design Track, ACM CHI 2023
Service
Partnerships Task Force, Santa Clara University
Faculty Senate Council Representative, Santa Clara University
Reviewer (17x special recognitions for outstanding reviews):
ACM CHI (2018–2026); ACM CSCW (2020–2025); ACM DIS (2018–2021, 2023); ACM TOCHI (2021, 2024); ACM UbiComp (2018–2019); ACM UIST (2026); ACM TEI (2021); Journal of Adolescent Research (2019); Pervasive Health (2017)
2026
Stanford University, 13th Annual Academic Technology Expo (ATXpo), plenary talk on the AI Kitchen (hosted by Michael Rouan) [October 5, 2026].
UC Santa Cruz, HCI Seminar (hosted by Christina Chung).
Stanford University, TETHICON Tech Ethics Research Conference, panelist, “Sharing Perspectives on Research on Ethical Technologies” (with Diyi Yang and Navid Shaghaghi).
2025
UC San Francisco, Academy of Medical Educators Annual Celebration, keynote address (hosted by Ann Poncelet).
San Francisco State University, CS Colloquium (hosted by Sanika Doolani).
Sonoma State University, CS Colloquium (hosted by Mark Gondree).
University of Chile (hosted by Francisco J. Gutierrez).
Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (hosted by Valeria Herskovic).
EDUCAUSE, Extended Reality (XR) Community Group, “Ohlone AR: Augmenting Indigenous History at Santa Clara University,” with Amy Lueck and Danielle M. Heitmuller (invited by Sean Hauze) [February 26, 2025].
2024
UC San Francisco, 11th Annual Academic Technology Expo (ATXpo), opening plenary talk on the Thámien Ohlone AR Tour, with Danielle M. Heitmuller, Amy Lueck, and Lee M. Panich (hosted by Rebecca Frazee).
University of Washington, Research Symposium (hosted by Carole Palmer).
Prosocial Design Network, Pro-Socials Series, “Designing for Agency,” featured conversation (hosted by Julia Kamin) [October 30, 2024].
BayCHI, Monthly Seminar (hosted by Ted Selker).
2023
Berea College, HCI Seminar (hosted by Jasmine Jones).
Stanford University, HCI Seminar (hosted by Michael Bernstein).
UC Santa Cruz, HCI Seminar (hosted by Norman Makato Su).
Leibniz University Hannover, HCI Group (hosted by Michael Rohs).
2022
University of Washington, DUB Group (hosted by Jason Yip).
2021
University of Copenhagen, Human-Centred Computing Seminar (hosted by Hasti Seifi).
Carleton University, CLUE Seminar (hosted by Audrey Girouard).
2020
Wellesley Centers for Women, Youth, Media, & Wellbeing Research Lab (hosted by Catherine Grevet Delcourt).
2026
Inside a University's `AI Kitchen'. Inside Higher Ed.
Not sure where you fit into a future driven by AI? This `kitchen' will give you a first taste. Santa Clara University.
How 4 Programs Instill Learning by Doing. Inside Higher Ed.
5 Ways Colleges Are Reshaping STEM Education. Inside Higher Ed.
One New Thing: Dropping In to an Artificial Intelligence `Kitchen'. U.S. News & World Report.
2024
Co-creating AR experiences with and for Indigenous communities. Mixed Reality in Culture Podcast.
2023
Santa Clara University holds seminar on Native history in Bay Area. KTSF26.
`Our representation matters': Indigenous Peoples' Day celebrated across the Bay Area. NBC Bay Area.
AR walking tour at Santa Clara University brings Indigenous stories to life. ABC 7 News.
Too many digital distractions are eroding our ability to read deeply. The Conversation Weekly Podcast.
2021
Sesiones siempre abiertas y privacidad a medio proteger. El País.
2019
The Big Hangup: Why the Future Is Not Just Your Phone. The Wall Street Journal.
2018
Addicted to your phone? New features could help limit use. King5 News.
Languages
Fluency in English, German, and Mandarin (Chinese)
International
Led user research on mobile technology products in China, India, Indonesia, and Thailand