Lindah Kotut's headshot

Lindah Kotut

Assistant Professor
Information School
University of Washington

Office: Mary Gates Hall 015
Campus Box: 352840
Phone: (206) 221-6128

                   

Teaching

INSC 598: Privacy, Surveillance & Trust
Autumn 2023

INFO 415: Emerging Topics in Information Assurance and Cybersecurity (Risk Assessment)
Autumn 2023

INFO 360: Design Thinking
Winter 2023

INSC 598: Critical and Cultural Dimensions in Information Science
Autumn 2022 (Syllabus)

INFO 415: Emerging Topics in Information Assurance and Cybersecurity
Autumn 2022 (Syllabus)

About Me

I am an assistant professor in the Information School at the University of Washington. I completed my Ph.D. in computer science from Virginia Tech where I was advised by Dr. Scott McCrickard. I also hold a Master's degree in computer science from Norfolk State University and an undergraduate degree in computer science from Georgia Southern University.

My research is at the intersection of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) and Indigenous Knowledge (IK). I look at how people tell stories both online and offline, and the role that technology plays in the telling. I am particularly interested in communities that do not have equitable access to storytelling tools and technology, those that are resourced-challenged, and those that are marginalized. I seek to highlight how learning from these underrepresented stories can inform the design of tools to amplify other communities to tell their own stories offline and online, and, more broadly, in providing spaces to query how these techniques offer key opportunities to understand other emerging and growing areas in computer science including ethics, privacy, (cyber)security and fairness and accountability in algorithm design.

Interested in working with me?

I'm actively recruiting PhD students excited about working at the intersection of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Privacy and Security and Indigenous Knowledge. See the Advising Page for more information about the research topic and how to apply.

Selected Publications

  • Winds of Change: Seeking, Preserving, and Retelling Indigenous Knowledge Through Self-Organized Online Communities
    Lindah Kotut and D. Scott McCrickard.
    ACM CHI 2022. | pdf | doi

  • TL;DR Charter: Speculatively Demystifying Privacy Policy Documents and Terms Agreements.
    Lindah Kotut and D. Scott McCrickard.
    ACM GROUP 2022. | pdf | doi

  • The Long Way Home: News Values in Stories Told by Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers on Social Media
    Lindah Kotut, Michael Horning, and D. Scott McCrickard.
    ACM CSCW 2022. | pdf | doi

  • Preparing for the Unexpected: Community Framework for Social Media Use and Social Support by Trail Thru-Hikers.
    Lindah Kotut, Michael Horning, Timothy L. Stelter and D. Scott McCrickard.
    ACM CHI 2020 | pdf | doi

  • Clash of Times: Respectful Technology Space for Integrating Community Stories in Intangible Exhibits.
    Lindah Kotut, Neelma Bhatti, Morva Saaty, Derek Haqq, Timothy L. Stelter and D. Scott McCrickard.
    ACM CHI 2020 | pdf | doi

  • Willing Buyer, Willing Seller: Personal Data Trade as a Service.
    Lindah Kotut, Timothy L. Stelter, Michael Horning and D. Scott McCrickard.
    ACM GROUP 2020 | pdf | doi | Slides | Speaker Notes

  • Amplifying the Griot: Design Fiction for Development as an Inclusivity Lens.
    Lindah Kotut and D. Scott McCrickard.
    CHI 2020 Design Fictions Workshop | pdf

    • Full list of publications

Recent Updates

June, 2022: Our paper The Long Way Home: News Values in Stories Told by Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers on Social Media has been accepted to CSCW 2022!

March, 2022: Our CHI 2022 Paper Winds of Change: Seeking, Preserving, and Retelling Indigenous Knowledge Through Self-Organized Online Communities received a best paper honorable mention award!

Mar 31, 2022: Invited talk: The Long Way Home: Understanding Technology Needs and Technology Use by Trail Thru-Hikers at BYU Computer Science Seminar Series.

Jan 2022: I'll be teaching Design Thinking (INFO 360) this Winter quarter

Nov 2021: Our Paper Winds of Change: Seeking, Preserving, and Retelling Indigenous Knowledge Through Self-Organized Online Communities has been accepted to CHI 2022!

Oct 20, 2021: Invited talk at UW's Design Use Build (DUB) Seminar

Sept 22, 2021: A spotlight article was shared by Jim Davis on behalf of the the Information School as part of my welcome to the University of Washington

Sept 17, 2021: Invited to speak at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Information School as part of the Responsible DS + AI Speaker Series

Sept 2021: Our paper "The TL;DR Charter has been accepted to GROUP 2022!

Sept 2021: I officially started as an assistant professor at UW iSchool