Researchers
Soo Hyeon Kim, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator (PI)
Soo Hyeon Kim, Ph.D. (PI) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Library and Information Science (DLIS) at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI).
Dr. Kim will be responsible for providing overall project leadership and oversight; recruitment and engagement with rural library partners, family participants, and rural engineers; lead the iterative design cycle and overall development of Family Makers; lead the facilitation of Family Makers in collaboration with rural library partners; lead the qualitative data collection and analysis; data and team management; and dissemination.
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Dr. Kim’s research aims to broaden and support children’s engineering learning opportunities by transforming rural libraries and family interactions as facilitators for tech-supported maker experiences. Her past research, Empowering Rural Libraries as Sites for Youth Informal Learning through Making funded by Indiana University, highlights the need to support rural youth and rural library staff with engineering programming.
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Dr. Kim brings her prior research experience in designing and implementing family engineering workshops and engineering kits as part of the STEM Pillars research (MG-77-16-0137-16) and ongoing collaborative research, Engineering a Community-Family Partnership (DRL1759259), to an online setting to support underserved children and library staff in rural communities.
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Dr. Kim has more than 10 years of experience as a learning sciences researcher, a smartphone product development manager, and a strategic product designer, which will inform the design and evaluation of the overall project.
Gi Woong Choi, Ph.D.
Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI)
Gi Woong Choi, Ph.D. (Co-PI) is an Assistant Professor of Instructional Design and Technology at University of Cincinnati, with more than 10 years of experience as an educational technology and human-computer interaction researcher, a graphical user interface developer, and a game user experience designer.
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Dr. Choi’s research explores educational affordances of novel technologies and published several articles and book chapters. The topics of his publications include but are not limited to the implications of online learning, open education resources, mobile devices for children’s informal STEM learning, and the use of educational games.
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Dr. Choi has extensive background in technology as well as education which is crucial in the success of this project. His research experience with online learning and informal learning environments will contribute to the design of Family Makers. Dr. Choi will lead the development of the measurement items to assess learning outcomes based on his expertise in mixed-methods approach.
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Dr. Choi will also be responsible for the qualitative and quantitative data analysis; data management; the design of the Family Makers; data and team management; and dissemination.
Andrea Copeland, Ph.D.
Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI)
Andrea Copeland, Ph.D. (Co-PI) is Chair and Associate Professor in the Department of Library and Information Science (DLIS) at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI).
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Dr. Copeland is the PI of the Buildling Public Libraries’ Capacity for Open Data Services (LG-250098-OLS-21) and the Co-PI of Data Reuse for Local Community (LG-96-17-0184-17), researching community data reuse and curation. Her research focus is public libraries and their relationship with communities.
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Dr. Copeland’s current research emphasis centers on connecting the cultural and social outputs of individuals and community groups to sustainable infrastructures of support.
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Dr. Copeland is the co-editor of a recent volume, Participatory Heritage, which explores the many ways that people participate in cultural heritage activities outside of formal institutions. It also examines the importance of building relationships between communities and institutions to increase access for all and the chance of long-term access to community history. The Bethel Archive Project at IUPUI has greatly informed her knowledge in this area.
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Dr. Copeland will be responsible for leading the focus groups; contributing to the design of the Family Makers; and dissemination.
Ju Hui Kang
Research Assistant
Ju Hui Kang is a second year PhD student studying Instructional Design and Technology at the University of Cincinnati, under the supervision of Dr. Gi Woong Choi.
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She has completed her M.A in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and her B.A in Communication and Social Interaction, with a Graphic design minor, both at the State University of New York at Oswego. Her research interests include informal learning, online learning, culturally responsive learning, as well as education in digital literacy and the use of social media in learning.
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She is currently on the Family Makers research project as a Research Assistant.
Mansi Kasar
Graduate Assistant
Mansi Kasar is a second-year Masters student currently studying Human-Computer Interaction at Indiana University, Indianapolis.
Her academic background includes a B.E. in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering. She is deeply passionate about research and is particularly interested in exploring user experience for digital technologies, co-design techniques, instructional design, education in digital literacy, and the use of technology in learning.
As a Graduate Assistant on the Family Makers research project, she is dedicated to contributing her knowledge to the advancement of the project.
Deepak Giri
Graduate Assistant
Deepak Giri is a graduate student in the Human-Computer Interaction program at the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering at IUPUI.
Before joining IUPUI, he worked as Product Designer for 3 years in India. His last professional stint was with one of the world’s largest ed-tech organizations, Byju’s, where he designed products for the Palo Alto-based augmented reality division.
Earlier, he designed digital products for various sectors, including renewable energy, healthcare, rural livelihood, microfinance, etc. His research interests are in healthcare human factors, generative artificial intelligence, accessibility, and social computing.
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He is currently on the Family Makers research project as a Graduate Assistant.
Sri Vaishnava Santosh Samudrala
Graduate Assistant
Sri Vaishnava Santosh Samudrala is a passionate graduate student in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) at Indiana University Indianapolis. With a solid background in Electronics and Communication Engineering, he ventured into the world of HCI to explore the captivating realm of technology and user experience.
During his undergraduate years, his role as President of the Photography and Cinematography club ignited his love for visual storytelling. This experience allowed him to delve into filmmaking, where he produced short films and educational content. This creative journey sparked his understanding of the artistry behind the lens and the intricacies of crafting compelling narratives.
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His stint as a Product Analyst at Smart Energy Water enriched his understanding of user-centric design and product development. Currently, he is a Research Assistant on the project, working under Professor Kim Soo Hyeon's 'Family Makers Project,' uniting his passion for HCI and deep appreciation for visual arts.
Steve Jobs' words, "Your work is going to fill a large part of your life... And the only way to do great work is to love what you do," resonate profoundly with him. As he navigates the convergence of technology and creativity, he aspires to shape experiences that resonate deeply with users, fusing the worlds of HCI and visual storytelling.
Past Researchers
These dedicated minds have been instrumental in shaping the evolution of our project, contributing their expertise to enrich the lives of communities through innovative education
Lauren Harris
Research Assistant
Lauren Harris is a Masters student of Library and Information Science at the School of Informatics and Computing at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI).
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She has completed her B.A in Communication with a Latin American and Latino Studies at Purdue University. Her research interests are accessibility of online learning, digital literacy, and digital preservation.
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She previously was a Graduate Assistant on the Family Makers research project.
Nithika Elugula
Research Assistant
Nithika Elugula is Masters Student of Human-Computer Interaction at School of Informatics and computing at IUPUI. She has completed her previous master's degree in Information Systems at the University of Melbourne, Australia.
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In addition, she worked as a digital marketing strategist and STEM Educator for about two years in Melbourne, Australia. She is currently working as a graduate assistant under Dr. Kim on a research program to bolster rural libraries' capabilities for the engineering program for underserved children.
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She is also working as a Graduate Ambassador for SOIC and as a research assistant at the COnvergent Media and Exploratory Technologies Lab (COMET) at SoIC. Apart from academics, she is an author who also enjoys writing articles, and adores reading and penning poetry.