Human-Centered Computing (HCC)
School of Interactive Computing
Georgia Tech 🐝
I'm a PhD candidate in Human-Centered Computing (HCC) at Georgia Tech specializing in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI).
My research focuses on using human-centered design methods to build assistive and explainable Generative AI systems in social environments, with current focus on aging in place. I'm particularly interested in the design of explanations in such AI systems, focusing on how people ask for and perceive explanatory instances in assistive AI technologies and examining ways of explaining AI models to non-technical users. My work centers the application of human-centered approaches to study explainability in AI systems, and highlights the need for human-AI interactions to be informed by information sources distributed in a user's environment, accounting for a sociotechnical awareness of context. My research is part of an ongoing collaboration between Georgia Tech, Emory Healthcare (Atlanta), Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh) and Northeastern University (Boston).
My doctoral advisors are Dr. Beth Mynatt and Dr. Sonia Chernova in the School of Interactive Computing at Georgia Tech, and I also work with Dr. Agata Rozga at Georgia Tech. Over the years, my research has been generously supported by Emory Healthcare's Brain Health Center, NSF AI Institute for Collaborative Assistance and Responsive Interaction for Networked Groups (AI-CARING) and the George Family Foundation Fellowship for Innovation in Health Systems. My work has been published at ACM CHI, CSCW, ASSETS, GROUP and UCAml, and has won a best paper award at ACM ASSETS, and a best poster award at ACM GROUP.
Not very long ago, I was an MS Student in HCI at Georgia Tech where I developed my research and design thinking and worked on many interesting projects -- from designing a safety solution for bikers on the road to understanding the use of conversational agents by older adults with early-stage dementia.
See my projects page for more on these!
Big Update! ✨
I passed my thesis proposal in May 2025 and officially became a PhD Candidate! My PhD dissertation is titled "Designing Assistive and Explainable AI Systems for Older Adults Aging in Place". I'm fortunate to have a wonderful group of advisors and committee members, consisting of Dr. Thomas Ploetz (Georgia Tech), Dr. Mark Riedl (Georgia Tech), Dr. James Landay (Stanford University), and Dr. Jodi Forlizzi (Carnegie Mellon University).
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Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
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Human-Centered AI (HCAI)
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Human-Centered Explainable AI (HCXAI)
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Design Research in HCI
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Participatory and Co-design Methods
Ph.D. in Human-Centered Computing (HCC), 2021 - present
Georgia Tech, Atlanta.
M.S. in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), 2019-2021
Georgia Tech, Atlanta.
B.Tech. in Computer Science and Engineering, 2015-2019
Vellore Institute of Technology, India.
Publications
Workshops and Extended Abstracts
8. [Lead organizer] Technology Mediated Caregiving for Older Adults Aging in Place.
Niharika Mathur, Elizabeth Mynatt, Alisha Pradhan, Masatomo Kobayashi, Katie Seaborn, Jenny Waycott, Tamara Zubatiy, John Vines, John Rudnik, Agata Rozga, Erin Buehler
ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 2025 Workshop. [workshop website] [workshop proposal]
7. A Research Through Design Study on AI Explanations for Collaborative Everyday Tasks for Older Adults Aging in Place.
Niharika Mathur, Tamara Zubatiy, Elizabeth D. Mynatt
ACM International Conference on Supporting Group Work, GROUP Companion 2025. [paper]
🏆 [Best Poster Award]
6. Categorizing Sources of Information for Explanations in Conversational AI Systems in the Home for Older Adults Aging in Place.
Niharika Mathur, Elizabeth D. Mynatt
ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 2024 Workshop on Human-Centered Explainable AI (HCXAI). [paper]
Conferences
5. "Why did you say that?": Recommendations for Understanding Explainability in Conversational AI systems for Older Adults with MCI.
Niharika Mathur, Tamara Zubatiy, Agata Rozga, Elizabeth D. Mynatt
International Conference on Ubiquitous Computing and Ambient Intelligence, UCAmI 2023. [paper]
4. “I don’t know how to help with that” - Learning from Limitations of Modern Conversational Agent Systems.
Tamara Zubatiy, Niharika Mathur, Larry Heck, Kayci Vickers, Agata Rozga, Elizabeth D. Mynatt
ACM Conference On Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing, CSCW 2023. [paper]
3. A Collaborative Approach to Support Medication Management in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment Using Conversational Assistants (CAs).
Niharika Mathur, Kunal Dhodapkar, Tamara Zubatiy, Jiachen Li, Brian D. Jones, Elizabeth D. Mynatt
ACM Conference on Computers and Accessibility, ASSETS 2022. [paper]
2. Empowering Dyads of Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment And Their Care Partners Using Conversational Agents.
Tamara Zubatiy, Kayci L. Vickers, Niharika Mathur, Elizabeth D. Mynatt
ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 2021. [paper]
Book Chapters
1. Sentiment analysis of the #MeToo movement using neutrosophy: Application of single-valued neutrosophic sets.
Ilanthenral Kandasamy, W.B. Vasantha, Niharika Mathur, Mayank Bisht, Florentin Smarandache
Optimization Theory Based on Neutrosophic and Plithogenic Sets 2020. [paper]