By Renkai Ma
/ March 19, 2025
Wisniewski on CDT Panel
Dr. Pamela Wisniewski recently participated as a panelist at the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) Working Group Meeting on Shaping Safer Digital Spaces for Kids. She joined Dr. Alice Marwick, Director of Research at the Data & Society Research Institute at UNC Chapel Hill, and Dr. Brandie Nonnecke, Founding...
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By Pamela Wisniewski
/ March 18, 2025
Ma Joins UCincinnati
Congratulations to our postdoctoral scholar, Dr. Renkai Ma, on his new position as a tenure-track Assistant Professor at the University of Cincinnati’s School of Information Technology! Renkai will officially begin his faculty role in Fall 2025. Renkai’s research takes a human-centered approach to Trust & Safety (T&S), focusing on three...
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By Renkai Ma
/ February 22, 2025
Alghamdi earns Ph.D.
Congratulations to Dr. Leena Alghamdi!We are thrilled to share that Leena Alghamdi, a Computer Engineering PhD student in the STIR Lab and also at the University of Central Florida, has successfully defended her dissertation, “Improving smart home access control mechanisms to account for community-based sharing beyond the home.” Her research...
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By Renkai Ma
/ February 5, 2025
Ali Earns Master Degree
We are thrilled to announce that Naima Samreen Ali, a third-year PhD student at Vanderbilt University, has successfully completed her Master of Science in Computer Science. Her research focuses on adolescent online safety, privacy, and social computing, approached from a Human-Computer Interaction perspective. Naima's recent publications delve into design-based nudges...
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By Renkai Ma
/ February 4, 2025
Qadir Earns Master Degree
We are thrilled to announce that Sarvech Qadir, a third-year PhD student at Vanderbilt University, has recently earned his Master of Science in Computer Science from Vanderbilt University. His research revolves around adolescent online safety, leveraging Human-Computer Interaction and Machine Learning to foster safer digital environments. His recent publications span...
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By Renkai Ma
/ November 25, 2024
SafeLINC Advances Youth Safety
A senior design team of UCF Computer Science students presented their work on SafeLINC, a mobile app designed to improve suicide safety planning for youth aged 10-24. SafeLINC offers an interactive, secure, and culturally sensitive approach, addressing gaps in existing mobile health (mHealth) apps. Incorporating the six dimensions of the...
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By Renkai Ma
/ November 25, 2024
MiSu App Team Triumphs
A senior design team of UCF Computer Science undergraduate students completed their almost year-long work on Mi Casa es Su Casa (MiSu) with a final presentation recently. Starting in Spring 2024, the team collaborated with the Socio-Technical Interaction Research Lab to develop an Android and iOS app focused on secure...
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By Renkai Ma
/ November 18, 2024
Roblox Boosts Parental Controls
WASHINGTON (TNND) — Popular online gaming platform Roblox has introduced new parental control features aimed at improving safety for young users. Speaking to The National News Desk, Dr. Pam Wisniewski, a computer science professor at Vanderbilt University and also a mother, shared her perspective on the changes and the ongoing...
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By Renkai Ma
/ November 1, 2024
Wisniewski in Scientific American
Dr. Pamela Wisniewski, an expert in human-computer interaction and youth online safety, shared her views in Scientific American on the complex role of GPS tracking in parenting teens. Wisniewski emphasized, "It depends on how parents use the information. If it’s a tool for safety and open communication, that’s one thing,...
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By Naima Samreen
/ November 1, 2024
OSTP Workshop
OSTP Workshop on Ethical Considerations in Youth Online Safety Research Dr. Pamela Wisniewski, an expert in human-computer interaction and youth online safety, participated in a workshop hosted by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) on October 15, 2024. The event, "Ethical Considerations when Studying Youth Online,"...
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By Naima Samreen
/ October 7, 2024
Radio Talk
The Internet offers kids and teens many positive things, but there's also a dark side targeting young people. Pamela Wisniewski, PhD, a specialist in privacy and online safety for adolescents, Associate Professor of Computer Science at Vanderbilt University offers expert advice to keep your kids safe online. Listen to the...
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By Naima Samreen
/ September 19, 2024
CDT Blog Post
Congratulations to our recent PhD graduate Dr. Akter and her advisor Dr. Pamela Wisniewski for showcasing their work on the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) blog. The blog discusses online and offline risks for youth, emphasizing the unique challenges faced by LGBTQ+ youth compared to their heterosexual peers. The...
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By Naima Samreen
/ September 2, 2024
CRA/CCC Best Practices
In a series of six engaging roundtable discussions led by the Computing Community Consortium (CCC), 40 computing research experts from academia, industry, and government explored the complexities of interdisciplinary computing. "Honestly, I think this is the biggest problem we need to tackle moving forward – in changing the perceptions of...
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By Naima Samreen
/ August 21, 2024
WJLA 24/7 News Interview
"Do we need cellphones in the classroom disrupting a teacher giving a lecture, no, do we need to have cell phones for health management or to be able to communicate with family members during an emergency, possibly," Dr.Wisniewski talks to WJLA News on the brimming topic of cell phone bans...
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By Abdulmalik Alluhidan
/ July 5, 2024
Celebrating Our Graduates
We are thrilled to announce the outstanding achievements of our recent graduates and our postdoctoral fellow as they embark on exciting new chapters in their academic careers. Each of these scholars has secured prestigious tenure-track Assistant Professor positions at renowned institutions, reflecting their dedication, hard work, and exceptional contributions to...
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By Abdulmalik Alluhidan
/ June 26, 2024
Wisniewski’s CNN Article
In a recent article for CNN Health, Dr. Wisniewski emphasized the importance of empowering youth with informed choices rather than restrictive measures, stressing the need for solutions that balance risks and benefits. She advocated for avoiding fear-based or restrictive approaches, highlighting the necessity for nuanced strategies. Read the full article...
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By Abdulmalik Alluhidan
/ June 24, 2024
Congrats to Dr. Caddle!
Congratulations to Dr. Xavier Caddle on the successful defense of his doctoral dissertation. Dr. Caddle will be joining the Computer Science department at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) as a visiting professor. We are immensely proud of his achievements and wish him great success in his career.
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By Abdulmalik Alluhidan
/ June 22, 2024
Congrats to Dr. Agha!
Congratulations to Dr. Zainab Agha on successfully defending her doctoral dissertation entitled, "Co-designing & Evaluating Adolescent Online Safety Nudges with Teens." We are extremely proud of her accomplishments and wish her continued success in her career!
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