University of Maryland

HCIL Membership

The HCIL brings together researchers from a variety of fields across the University of Maryland campus. Our current faculty come from Computer Science, Information Science, Education, Psychology, English, American Studies, and more. Faculty and researchers from all departments who are doing HCI-relevant work are welcome to join the lab.

What brings us together is a core interest in the design of new technologies and studying the intersection of computing and social issues. We are also a community, where you will find support and sharing of ideas that enrich all of our work.

Why should I join?

There are many benefits of being an HCIL member, but we highlight a few ways that the lab has traditionally helped UMD faculty and researchers:

  • Recognition: Launched in 1983, we are the oldest HCI lab in the country, and one of the most well-known and prestigious groups in the field. We work hard to grow and maintain the recognition and prestige of our lab, and in turn, promote your research to the wider world.
  • Intellectual Connections: The HCIL serves as a hub for events and networking, to share ideas, develop collaborations, and develop connections to other research communities that will expand the impact of your work. Our intellectual heritage is in HCI, and our expertise in design & innovation can enrich the work done in other disciplines. In addition, our faculty come from a wide range of departments that study issues of social impact including health, education, information, and communication. Our focus on social issues — as they intersect with technology — invites a wide variety of scholars that has helped create a vibrant and diverse atmosphere at HCIL.
  • Community: Foremost, we are a supportive community of friends and colleagues. Our weekly brown bags, informal chats, and annual symposium bring us together as a family. We see the lab as a connector — helping people find collaborators, new ideas, and friends through hallway chats, coffee runs, or informal lunches amongst colleagues. We welcome anyone who would like to be a part of our community!
  • Expanding the Reach of your Scholarship: Our faculty publish in a wide variety of high impact venues. Lab members often work together to prepare, review, and submit manuscripts to these venues (e.g., through paper clinics and informal groups) — helping you to successfully publish in these highly visible venues and increase the impact of your scholarship. Our faculty often publish in:
    • ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI)
    • Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing (CSCW)
    • IEEE Information Visualization Conference (IEEE Vis)
    • Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing (UbiComp)
    • Interaction Design & Children (IDC)
    • Conference on Web and Social Media (ICWSM)
    • International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS)
    • Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL)
    • and many others…

How do you become a faculty member of the HCIL?

The main request of HCIL faculty members is that you actively participate in lab activities and help us sustain a supportive community of researchers. If you are interested in joining the lab, talk to the current director or email hcil-info@umd.edu and tell us about your interest in joining the lab.

Expectations for faculty who become HCIL members include:

  1. Completing a Google Form with information about yourself and your research (to be included on the website).
  2. Sharing updates about your papers, awards, and other academic achievements.
  3. Attending faculty events. The lab hosts 2-3 faculty brown bag lunches (FaBBLs) each semester to discuss lab initiatives. We expect HCIL faculty to attend at least two FaBBLs per year to keep abreast of the lab activities and keep connected with other faculty.
  4. Participating in the HCIL community! The HCIL’s strength comes from having a strong and engaged community that supports each other and helps junior scholars develop as HCI researchers. We therefore need our faculty members to participate in activities throughout the year to share their knowledge and experience with students and junior scholars. HCIL faculty are expected to regularly attend or participate in the following events when possible:
    • Attending the weekly brown bag lunch speaker series (BBL)
    • Giving a talk about your work at a BBL
    • Giving a talk, workshop, or tutorial at our annual HCIL Symposium
    • Volunteering at the annual symposium
    • Participating in our various paper clinics for CHI, CSCW, and other conferences by providing feedback on drafts to authors
  5. Stepping into an Assistant Director role (e.g., alumni engagement; sponsorships)
  6. Promoting the lab on social media
  7. Contributing to the HCIL Medium (blog), Sparks of Innovation
  8. Connecting us with potential sponsors and/or partnership opportunities with industry and the wider community

How do you become a HCIL student member?

Students who work on a research project with an HCIL faculty automatically become members of the HCIL. Make sure that you are to the added HCIL student page. In addition, students who volunteer to work with the HCIL coordinator to help out become HCIL members as well.

Three smiling women wearing HCIL green hockey shirts

Alumni Events and LinkedIn Group

Once in a while we organize an Alumni event.
If you are not in the alumni list contact hcil-info@cs.umd.edu and join the LinkedIn group.