Steven R. Rick

I’m currently working on the design, development, and evaluation of systems that augment human capabilities through collective intelligence with computational agents. I’m a member of the Center for Collective Intelligence and the Distributed Robotics Lab.

I recieved by Ph.D. in Computer Science from UC San Diego where I was advised by Nadir Weibel. There I was a member of the HXI Research Lab and the Design Lab.

My dissertation focused on the sensing of nonverbal behavior between doctors and patients in order to elucidate links between communication and equitable health outcomes. I use mixed methods to understand interpersonal interactions and contextual dynamics, and my work seeks to inform the design of future AI systems to better facilitate human collaboration.

My work spans the fields of user experience, biomedical informatics, human behavior sensing, and applied machine learning.

I am passionate about equity across both healthcare and technology.

I believe all people are entitled to a healthy life and should benefit from modern computing. Unfortunately that isn’t the case due to identity factors such as race, gender, ethnicity, and systemic oppression.

We can each better our community through active participation in equity activities, as such I…

• Am a core contributor to the UnBIASED Project
• Participated in the first cohort of the Cultural Competency in Computing (3C) Fellowship
• Helped to establish the CSE DEI Committee and the CSE Celebration of Diversity
• Have served on the leadership board for Graduate Women in Computing

As a computer scientist and technologist I strive to create systems that alleviate human problems and enhance end-user experiences. As a social scientist and designer I acknowledge that technology may not always be the right answer. Before crafting answers you must understand the problem and people who face it.

Education

• Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering with a specialization in Human-Centered Design
• M.S. in Computer Science and Engineering
• B.S. in Cognitive Science with a specialization in Human-Computer Interaction and minor in Psychology

Industry

• Microsoft Research on EmpowerMD
• IBM Research on Project BlueSky

Outside of work I enjoy hiking, SCUBA diving, photography, and generally working with my hands.