BBL Speaker Series: Community-Based Approaches to Building Peer Support Systems for Work
Talk Title: Community-Based Approaches to Building Peer Support Systems for Work
Speaker: Yasmine Kotturi, Assistant Professor of Human-Centered Computing, Information Systems, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Location: HBK 2105 and Zoom
Abstract: The “future of work” promises innovation and opportunity, yet for many, it manifests as uncertainty and instability—exposing a stark divide between optimistic predictions and lived realities. In this talk, I explore the critical role of peer networks in addressing worker challenges such as isolation and skill development in digitally-mediated work. Drawing on community-based, participatory design methods, I present three peer support systems—Hirepeer, Peerdea, and Tech Help Desk—that tackle these issues by fostering trust and accountability within worker communities. These systems demonstrate how localized, community-based approaches can overcome the limitations of current approaches to building sociotechnical systems which prioritize scale over relationship building. Finally, my work highlights the importance of constructive community-academic partnerships in computing which kickstart and sustain community initiatives.
Bio: Dr. Yasmine Kotturi is an Assistant Professor of Human-Centered Computing at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in the Information Systems Department. Her research focuses on digitally-mediated employment and entrepreneurship, examining how distributed workers leverage peer networks to navigate precarity and advance their careers. Dr. Kotturi has been recognized as an EECS Rising Star, WAIM Fellow (Work in the Age of Intelligent Machines), and Siebel Scholar. She has collaborated with nonprofits, as well as leading companies including Instagram and Etsy. Dr. Kotturi earned her Ph.D. in Human-Computer Interaction from Carnegie Mellon University and has held positions at leading research institutions such as Microsoft Research Asia and MIT’s Teaching Systems Lab. Learn more about Dr. Kotturi’s work: ykotturi.github.io and @yasminekotturi.
