Location: 5130 Upson Hall

Note: 3:30 - 4:00p will be our social gathering with refreshments -
in the 5th Floor Lounge of Upson Hall

Abstract:

Gregory Abowd asserts that one of the common themes of ubiquitous computing is the automated capture of everyday experiences that can be accessed at a later time. Dr. Abowd’s research team at Georgia Institute of Technology has been exploring this theme since the mid-90's in environments such as the classroom, museums, offices and the home.  The Abowd talk will reflect on a few of these experiences, and explain how challenges in his own personal life have resulted in a variety of opportunities to advance the research agenda for automated capture applications.  These opportunities vary from solutions to short-term memory failures, to a desire to preserve the legacy of his father's family film history, to a seven-year battle to support the needs of families dealing with developmental disabilities.  While there are significant research issues addressed in this body of work, the over-arching message is that everyday life presents many opportunities for human-centered research into the application of emerging technologies.

Bio:

Gregory Abowd is an Associate Professor in the College of Computing and Graphics, Visualization, & Usability (GVU) Center at Georgia Institute of Technology, and co-director of the Aware Home Research Initiative. His research explores applications of ubiquitous computing technologies, combining both human-centered and technology-driven research themes. Since 1995, Dr. Abowd has led the development and evaluation of several influential ubiquitous computing projects: Cyberguide, eClass (nee Classroom 2000), the Aware Home and, most recently, a suite of tools to support caregivers for children with autism and other developmental disabilities. Dr. Abowd is the co-author of a major textbook on Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), and has published over 150 peer-reviewed scientific articles in the areas of Ubiquitous Computing, Human Computer Interaction, and Software Engineering. He is a 1986 graduate of the University of Notre Dame, where he studied Mathematics and Physics. He has a M.Sc. (1987) and D.Phil. (1991) in Computation from the University of Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar. Prior to joining the faculty at Georgia Tech in 1994, he was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of York in the U.K. and at Carnegie Mellon University. One of 12 children growing up in suburban Detroit, Dr. Abowd himself is the father of three children, two of whom have diagnoses on the autism spectrum. For the past four years, Dr. Abowd has been a strong advocate for technology research related to autism and serves on the Scientific Advisory Committee for the Cure Autism Now Foundation and as a member of the Board of Directors for the Autism Society of America Greater Georgia Chapter.

If you would like to meet with Gregory, or for more information, please contact John Abowd.

[handout] - [schedule]

9-25-06 Rosemary