Iris Howley’s research investigates human interaction with artificial intelligence (AI) in educational contexts. By combining concepts from computer science, psychology, and design, this work aims to improve technologically enhanced learning experiences for instructors and students. This includes deploying interactive experiences explaining complex algorithms within educational AI systems, adapting AI methods for automatically identifying interesting student behavior in digital learning environments, and exploring new ways to visualize student & academic data. She has taught at Williams College for two years and comes to the purple hills by way of a postdoctoral stint at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education, PhD in Human-Computer Interaction at Carnegie Mellon University, and a B.S. in Computer Science from Drexel University.
How did you become interested in CS? Or in your area of study specifically?
Computer science’s problem-solving creative process drew me in during high school, initially building websites for virtual pets and eventually moving on to animate cartwheeling stick figures in QBASIC. I have long enjoyed making physical objects with specific constraints and requirements such as in sewing and other arts & crafts, and computer science is a digital version of this process. Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) attracted me as an undergraduate, because understanding how computers impact humans both individually and as a society seemed a fascinating pursuit with tremendous potential for beneficial impact on the world. As a side bonus, being a very interdisciplinary field, HCI further allows me to pursue my other interests in human behavior, design, and linguistics.
What will you bring to Williams Computer Science Department?
It is a very exciting time to be a computer scientist right now, with the increased popular interest in improving the world through computational advancement. Technology’s impact on our lives is only going to grow, and so I immensely enjoy collaborating with Williams students to design & deploy thoughtful applications that enable students & instructors to be more effective in their teaching and learning. I bring with me insights from the field of human-computer interaction, computational ethics, and a “try fast, try often” attitude that is integral for novel interaction development as well as research.
What are some of your favorite things?
At any given time, I am completely and fully absorbed by one of the following hobbies: {gardening, food preserving, home restoration, calligraphy, camping, quilting, knitting, talking about my cat/dog, arts & crafts}.
I am also on TEAM LOOSE LEAF TEA and greatly enjoy the mix-your-own-tea events I host for the Williams Women in Computer Science group.
Are you excited about any specific aspect of living in the Berkshires or working at Williams?
Working with Williams’ self-motivated, eager-to-learn students has been a real joy these past two years. I am constantly impressed by what students create in class and as research assistants. Their insightful questions in class help me think of computer science concepts in new lighting, and make me a better instructor, too. It is also a pleasure to work in a department that so clearly supports exploration in teaching & research, that further promotes my development as a professor.
As for the Berkshires, something about the low-hanging clouds that always seem to linger halfway up the surrounding mountains brings me peace of mind. Basically, I spend an absurd amount of time staring at mountains.
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