{"691784":{"#nid":"691784","#data":{"type":"event","title":"PhD Proposal by Kefan Xu","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETitle\u003C\/strong\u003E:\u0026nbsp;Understanding Individual, Stakeholders, and AI\u0027s Roles in Navigating Through Life-Changing Events\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDate\u003C\/strong\u003E: August 21st (Friday)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETime\u003C\/strong\u003E: 12pm - 2 pm EST\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELocation\u003C\/strong\u003E: GVU Cafe (TSRB 2nd Floor)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/teams.microsoft.com\/meet\/226738441176762?p=9vo8xC1IwkwuB5Shc0\u0022\u003Eteams.microsoft.com\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/teams.microsoft.com\/meet\/226738441176762?p=9vo8xC1IwkwuB5Shc0\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022data:image\/png;base64,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width=\u002232\u0022 height=\u002232\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EKefan Xu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPh.D. Student in CS (Human-Computer Interaction)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchool of Interactive Computing\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommittee Members\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDr. Rosa I. Arriaga (Advisor) -\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003ESchool of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDr. Alex T. Adams\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E-\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003ESchool of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDr. Jennifer G. Kim\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003E-\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003ESchool of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDr. Mark W. Newman\u003C\/strong\u003E - School of Information, University of Michigan\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDr. Andrea G. Parker\u0026nbsp;-\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003ESchool of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbstract\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELife-changing events (LCEs)\u2014health issues, job changes, shifts in the caregiving network\u2014disrupt routines, relationships, and identities. LCEs pose an acute challenge in individuals\u2019 lives. They disrupt not only the individuals\u2019 established practices but also ripple through the broader situated ecology, affecting friends, families, and the relationships among them. Yet existing HCI research has largely examined LCEs at a single scale, without accounting for how they propagate across dyadic and ecological layers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis dissertation investigates LCEs at three scales. At the individual level, I developed Planneregy, a mobile app supporting reflective iteration on physical activity routines; a 42-day deployment study showed how bundling plans into strategies and scaffolding weekly reflection help individuals adapt to shifting circumstances. At the dyadic level, analyzing informal caregiving discussions on Reddit, I characterized how LCEs escalate caregiving conflicts and how online health communities support caregivers\u0027 sense-making during transitions. At the ecological level, I interviewed 22 diabetes patients to map how LCEs reshape the care ecology. Based on these insights, I proposed ecological informatics as a design guideline for technologies that support information work across ecological layers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBuilding on these insights, my proposed work develops EcoCare, an AI-assisted visualization system that helps patients, caregivers, and clinicians see how LCEs impact interconnected ecological entities. Using EcoCare as a probe in a mixed-methods study, I will investigate how stakeholders make sense of LCEs and make decisions when they can see the full ecological landscape. This will serve to evaluate the ecological informatics framework. Collectively, this dissertation advances an ecological understanding of LCEs and contributes guidelines for designing systems that support people navigating major life changes\u2014alone, with intimate others, or within the broader care ecology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUnderstanding Individual, Stakeholders, and AI\u0027s Roles in Navigating Through Life-Changing Events\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Understanding Individual, Stakeholders, and AI\u0027s Roles in Navigating Through Life-Changing Events"}],"uid":"27707","created_gmt":"2026-08-19 13:58:09","changed_gmt":"2026-08-19 13:58:42","author":"Tatianna Richardson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2026-08-21T12:00:00-04:00","event_time_end":"2026-08-21T14:00:00-04:00","event_time_end_last":"2026-08-21T14:00:00-04:00","gmt_time_start":"2026-08-21 16:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2026-08-21 18:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2026-08-21 18:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"GVU Cafe (TSRB 2nd Floor)","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"102851","name":"Phd proposal"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}