New MHCI+D Leadership Announcement
UW MHCI+D Director Ana Pinto da Silva, Associate Teaching Professor HCDE (left), and UW Associate Director Scott Ichikawa, Associate Teaching Professor at the Allen School of Computer Engineering (right).
The UW Graduate School and Continuum College are excited to announce leadership appointments for the Masters in Human Computer Interaction + Design (MHCI+D) Program, welcoming Director Ana Pinto da Silva and Associate Director Scott Ichikawa to MHCI+D.
“As we enter our 10th year as a premier graduate program in HCI and design, Ana and Scott bring forth not just tremendous industry experience and knowledge but remarkable design leadership and pedagogical innovation”, says MHCI+D Faculty Co-Chair Jon Froehlich, Professor at the Allen School of Computer Science. “I could not dream of a more talented, accomplished leadership team to shape the future vision and mission of our program as we prepare new generations of design innovators.”
An accomplished designer, technologist and public speaker, incoming Director Ana Pinto da Silva is committed to advancing the role designers, engineers and researchers play in the development of future-defining innovation. As CEO and founder of 2G3R, Ana’s work celebrates aging and longevity, delivering home and community solutions that help people of all ages and abilities thrive. Ana has led design innovation initiatives traversing healthcare, education, civics, shopping and productivity for Amazon, Microsoft, NBBJ, and others. Inspired by the power of leadership through community, Ana is the founder of the Seattle Pecha Kucha speaker series, the founding co-chair of the Harvard GSD’s global Design Impact initiative, and serves on the board of directors for the Harvard GSD MDE program, the Harvard GSD Alumni Council, and Leadership Tomorrow. In addition to her role as Director of MHCI+D, Ana will serve as Associate Teaching Professor for the University of Washington’s HCDE program.
Pinto da Silva’s focus during her inaugural year will be to celebrate MHCI+D’s 10-year anniversary, honoring the program’s legacy of groundbreaking leadership as one of the world’s leading HCI+D programs, working in partnership with the program’s outstanding community of students, faculty, alumni and leading industry partners to frame a future-forward vision for the program poised to deliver a new era of innovation at the intersection of computation, design, and social change.
“I am deeply honored to serve the MHCI+D community at this pivotal moment,” says Pinto da Silva. “The challenges we face as a global community require the emergence of new dreams and new visions as we innovate forward to deliver a stronger, more equitable, more resilient world. This work can only be done through community, by working together across disciplines, geographies and generations. I could not be more excited to see what we will achieve together.”
Associate Director Scott Ichikawa joins Pinto da Silva as the inaugural Associate Director and Associate Teaching Professor for the Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering. An experienced design leader and technologist, Scott has worked with leading-edge design consultancies including Artefact, Teague, 98point6 and Studio Matthews where he guided teams to create products and services focused on healthcare, medical robotics, and emerging technology. An accomplished teacher and dedicated mentor, Scott returns to the program where he served the MHCI+D community as a full -time Lecturer.
“I am excited to welcome you to the University of Washington and the MHCI+D Community! I am honored to be a part of your continued evolution and learning journey as each of you takes the next steps in your lives and careers,” says MHCI+D Associate Director Scott Ichikawa, Associate Teaching Professor at the Allen School of Computer Science. “This next year will be filled with opportunities to challenge ourselves, learn new skills, and better understand our role within HCI and Design and its impact on humanity and our environment. I look forward to teaching, learning, and evolving alongside you!”
MHCI+D is a unique, cross-disciplinary program in HCI and design that integrates Computer Science & Engineering, Human Centered Design & Engineering, the Information School and Division of Design in the School of Art + Art History + Design. The program provides an intensive one-year educational experience using a cohort, studio-based model aimed at educating a diverse generation of designers, engineers, and user researchers who can successfully combine the creative aspects of design and the study of human behavior with the analytical techniques of engineering.
Pinto da Silva and Ichikawa are excited for the year ahead. Working together and in partnership with the MHCI+D Interdisciplinary Faculty Group and the broader University of Washington Community, they look forward to developing the next generation of innovation leaders poised to bring forward the full promise of 21st century innovation.