Dissertation Plans

I am currently supporting the BizChat project (PI: Dr. Yasmine Kotturi) and learning about the ways that entrepreneurs and small business owners can gain AI literacy skills through the use of the tool. By working on this project, one goal is to uncover opportunities to engage with particular communities that are often overlooked but contribute greatly to the U.S. economy, such as Latinx and Hispanic small business owners. While my dissertation focus will evolve and most likely pivot as I engage with communities, my plan is to focus on investigating the ways that rapid technological changes, such as generative AI, are serving and/or failing the communities that I have unique access to (e.g. Hispanic entrepreneurs and small business owners).

Research Contribution: While my dissertation topic will evolve from now until I propose, the following captures the type of contribution I want to make to the HCI field (including empirical, methodological, and artifact):

I investigate how rapid technological change like generative AI can distribute opportunity unequally by ignoring Hispanic and Latinx entrepreneurs entirely and how community-engaged research can inform how these communities can shape the technology. In particular, I hope to shift the conversation from “who gets left behind when transformative technologies emerge” to one that focuses on “who never gets a seat at the table or gets to reap the benefits when transformative technologies emerge.”

Timeline

The timeline below is an estimate of key milestones.