Nicola Dell

Associate Professor
Information and Computer Science
Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute
Cornell Tech
2 West Loop Road
New York, NY, 10044

nixdell (at) cornell.edu

I am an Associate Professor at the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute at Cornell Tech and in the Information Science Department at Cornell University. I advise students in the departments of Information Science and Computer Science. At Cornell, I serve as the Director of Technology Innovation for the Initiative on Home Care Work in the Center for Applied Research on Work (CAROW). I was also the 2023 Siegel Faculty Impact Fellow in the Public Interest Technology (PiTech) Initiative at Cornell Tech, and I co-founded and co-direct the Clinic to End Tech Abuse.

I work to study, build, and deploy sociotechnical systems that improve the lives of underserved communities in the United States and around the world. To achieve this goal, I utilize an interdisciplinary combination of techniques, including: (1) qualitative research to identify and understand the challenges faced by underserved communities; (2) measurement studies and analyses of existing technologies and usage patterns; (3) designing and building novel socio-technical systems that empower people to overcome challenges they face; (4) evaluating the systems I build through fieldwork and deployments with underserved communities; and (5) engaging with companies, governments, and non-profit organizations to transition the results of my work into practice. I believe that working "backwards"---from concrete, real-world problems to new theories and methodological frameworks---maximizes the potential for near-term societal impact while advancing the foundations of HCI research.

I completed my Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington in Seattle. My work is generously supported by the National Science Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Yang-Tan WorkABILITY Incubator, Google, Facebook, Mozilla, JPMorgan, and others.