What inspired you to pursue a graduate degree?

My decision to pursue a graduate degree grew out of a gap I repeatedly encountered as a design practitioner. During my Bachelor's and Master's studies, and later while developing the autonomous laser treatment device that became my patented invention, I realized that the best solutions were never purely technical. Their success depended on understanding how people think, make decisions, and interact with technology.

Design competitions and national recognitions gave me confidence in my technical and creative abilities, but they also revealed the limits of design alone. They made me ask deeper questions: Why do people trust some technologies but not others? Why are some innovations widely adopted while others fail? Why does a system that is technically usable not always create meaningful value?

Those questions inspired me to pursue graduate studies. I wanted a rigorous, research-driven way to investigate human behavior and decision-making and integrate those insights into the design of intelligent systems. Pursuing my PhD at the University of Bern, and later joining the GUII Lab at UC Santa Cruz, gave me the opportunity to combine human-computer interaction, behavioral science, and artificial intelligence within a truly interdisciplinary research environment.

Graduate school was never simply about earning another degree. It was the natural next step in my journey to understand not only how to build intelligent technologies, but also how to design them so they genuinely improve people's lives 

"The most exciting part of research is not simply developing a new algorithm, but seeing an idea evolve through collaboration with the people who will ultimately use it."

How would you describe your main research focus to someone outside your field?

At its core, my research asks a simple question: "How can we design AI that helps people make better decisions in complex, real-world situations while keeping humans in control?"

Many important decisions are made under uncertainty, limited time constraints, and incomplete information. Although AI has become increasingly capable of generating predictions and recommendations, people still need to understand the reasoning behind those recommendations, weigh different trade-offs, and ultimately make the final decision themselves. My research explores how AI can support this process by acting as an intelligent decision partner rather than an autonomous decision-maker.

I am particularly interested in designing AI-powered decision-support systems that help people evaluate alternatives, understand the consequences of different choices, and make informed decisions more efficiently and confidently. This requires combining artificial intelligence with human-computer interaction to ensure that AI recommendations are not only accurate, but also transparent, trustworthy, and aligned with human goals and expertise.

Whether the application is sustainability, education, healthcare, or another domain, my goal is the same: to develop AI systems that augment human intelligence, reduce cognitive burden, and empower people to make better decisions rather than replacing their judgment.

How did your interests lead you to your current research area in Computational Media/HCI?

My path to Computational Media and Human-Computer Interaction grew naturally from my background in engineering and design. Early in my career, I focused on building products and interactive systems, but I gradually realized that the real challenge was not creating technology. It was helping people make better decisions with technology.

As artificial intelligence became more capable, I became increasingly interested in its potential to support human decision-making. I realized that the most valuable AI systems are not necessarily those that automate decisions, but those that help people navigate complex choices by organizing information, presenting meaningful alternatives, and supporting informed judgment. Answering these questions required an interdisciplinary perspective that combines AI, design, behavioral science, and human-computer interaction.

Computational Media and HCI provide the ideal environment for this research because they place equal importance on technological innovation and human experience. They allow me to study not only how AI systems are built, but also how people interact with them, trust them, and integrate them into real-world decision-making.

Computational Media gave me the opportunity to combine AI, design, and behavioral science to study technology from both technical and human perspectives. That interdisciplinary approach continues to shape how I approach every research project today. My goal is to create AI that helps people make more informed, confident, and effective decisions across domains such as sustainability, education, and healthcare, while ensuring that humans remain at the center of the decision-making process. 

What has been the most rewarding or exciting moment in your research so far?

One of the most rewarding moments in my research has been realizing that the people I design for can become true partners in the research process. While developing an AI decision-support system for institutional kitchens, I spent time talking with sustainability managers, chefs, and food service professionals to understand how decisions are actually made in their daily work. Instead of immediately proposing an AI solution, I listened to their challenges and workflows.

What surprised me was that many of the problems I had originally imagined were not the ones they considered most important. Their experiences completely reshaped my research questions and changed the direction of the project. Rather than building another system to measure food waste after it occurs, I shifted my focus toward designing AI that helps people make better decisions before waste happens.

That experience reinforced something I now carry into every project: meaningful innovation begins with understanding people. The most exciting part of research is not simply developing a new algorithm, but seeing an idea evolve through collaboration with the people who will ultimately use it. It reminded me that the best AI systems are designed to support human expertise, and that the best research is created with users, not just for them. 

"I believe research achieves its greatest value when it empowers people to solve real-world problems and improves lives beyond the laboratory." 

What are your career goals after you complete your degree?

After completing my degree, I hope to build a career that bridges academic research and real-world innovation. I want to continue conducting interdisciplinary research at the intersection of AI, Human-Computer Interaction, and decision support, while translating that research into practical solutions that create measurable societal impact.

One of my biggest ambitions is to transform research into technologies and startups that help people and organizations make better decisions. I believe many promising research ideas never reach the communities that could benefit from them, and I want to help close that gap by bringing AI-powered decision-support systems from the laboratory into everyday practice.

I also hope to collaborate with industry, public organizations, and policymakers to develop AI systems that improve decision-making in areas such as sustainability, education, and healthcare. Equally important to me is mentoring students and contributing to interdisciplinary research communities where scientific excellence and real-world impact go hand in hand.

Ultimately, my goal is to become both a researcher and an entrepreneur, advancing scientific knowledge while building AI technologies that empower people to make more informed decisions and create lasting social and environmental impact. 

What would you say to students who are considering joining our lab?

I would tell them to be curious, open-minded, and ready to step outside their comfort zone. One of the things I value most about this lab is its interdisciplinary environment. You are encouraged to explore ideas from different fields, collaborate with people who have diverse expertise, and tackle problems that have real-world impact.

I would also encourage students to take initiative. The lab provides many opportunities, but the most rewarding experiences come when you actively ask questions, share your ideas, and pursue projects you are passionate about. I have found that people here are supportive and genuinely interested in helping each other grow, both as researchers and as individuals.

Most importantly, I would tell them to choose research questions that truly matter to them. Research is full of unexpected challenges, but curiosity is what keeps you moving forward. If you're excited about learning from people, collaborating across disciplines, and building technology that can make a positive difference, you'll find this lab to be an inspiring place to grow.