neilly H. tan

name pronunciation [nee-lee] ✧ she/her

I am a sociotechnical scholar and design researcher who studies the ethical, social, and political implications of personal data and technology systems. My work draws from human-computer interaction (HCI), critical data studies, and science and technology studies (STS). I adopt qualitative, participatory, and design-based approaches in my current research, which primarily focuses on critically re-orienting power dynamics around the smart home camera.

I am a PhD Candidate studying Human Centered Design and Engineering at the University of Washington, where I am co-advised by Drs. Sean Munson and Audrey Desjardins. My work is funded by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.

✎ Email: nhtan @ uw.edu
Curriculum Vitae (Last updated: 10/22)

recent News

Nov 2024 — Passed my dissertation proposal, Data Politics, Data Practices, and Data Imaginaries in the Home: Case Studies around the 'Smart' Home Security Camera, and am now ABD (all but dissertation)!

June 2023 — Learned so much at HCIC on “Supporting Online Trust and Safety, Privacy, and Security” — grateful to meet and connect with colleagues and mentors.

Sept 2022 — Gave a virtual talk on “Exploring, Enacting, Questioning: Critical and Design Research Perspectives on Sensing Technologies in the Home” for CHI Manila. Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat.

June 2022 — Started work at Meta as a UX Research Intern on the Data Infrastructure team working on privacy and security products.

May 2022 — I passed my generals exam and am now a PhD candidate!

Feb 2022 — Super excited to share that two papers are accepted to CHI 2022: “Monitoring Pets, Deterring Intruders, and Casually Spying on Neighbors: Everyday Uses of Smart Home Cameras”, and “Critical-Playful Speculations with Cameras in the Home.” This is my first time publishing at CHI!