Ignorance Is Bliss: A Career Retrospective

Dean Gregory D. Abowd will present his SIGCHI Lifetime Research Award Acceptance Lecture

Date: Tues., June 13, 2023

Time: 5:30 to 7:15 PM, reception following Dean Abowd’s talk

Place: In-Person and Livestream
BostonCHI meeting at Northeastern University in ISEC Auditorium (102 ISEC), and reception in ISEC Atrium

Registration is appreciated but not required. View BostonCHI for more information.

Presentation Abstract: In 1988, as a graduate student grappling to find a research identity, Gregory D. Abowd accidentally discovered the field of Human Computer Interaction (HCI). Over the past 35 years, he pursued a passion for applying the tools and techniques of computing to uncover how the human experience with technology can be understood and transformed. That leap into HCI was just the first of a number of leaps of faith. Abowd’s career has been a series of shifting research agendas, each one inspired by some life events. In all cases, he was buoyed by a bevy of talented and supportive colleagues, advisors and advisees alike, who gave him the courage to jump into a research topic that he didn’t know much about. That “ignorance” has allowed him to be more fearless than he had the right to be. In this talk, Abowd will reflect on his professional journey, hoping to inspire others to dispel fear of the unknown and unlock their potential. Life, like research, is best when shared with others whom you can respect and befriend.

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Gregory D. Abowd, dean of the College of Engineering and professor of electrical and computer engineering at Northeastern University, has received the Lifetime Research Award from the Association for Computing Machinery’s (ACM) Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction (SIGCHI). The award is presented to individuals for “the best, most fundamental, and influential research contributions to the study of human-computer interaction (HCI)” and is awarded for a lifetime of innovation and leadership.