Monthly Archives: February 2023

The Darker Side of Play

February 21, 2023

Anyone who has been bullied on the playground knows that play can be more than just fun and games. So why have definitions of “play” in game studies largely focused on pleasure? Aaron Trammell addresses this in his new book, Repairing Play: A Black Phenomenology.

Aaron Trammell holding a copy of his book
Continue reading

Informatics Ph.D. Student María José Anderson Coto Wins Miguel Velez Scholarship

February 16, 2023

Fifth-year informatics Ph.D. student María José Anderson Coto received the Miguel Velez Scholarship, which supports outstanding graduate students from Latin American countries. 

“I’m honored and so excited to be selected! I’m thankful that this scholarship exists since there are very few funding opportunities for international students, especially from Latin American countries,” says Anderson Coto. “I’m currently working on my dissertation proposal, so the Miguel Velez scholarship will be very impactful for supporting me and my research in this critical moment!”

Continue reading

Informatics Course Includes Webinar on Integrating Accessibility Into a Computing Career

February 15, 2023

The webinar started with a list of pet peeves: classifying accessibility as “nice to have” instead of as a prerequisite, forgetting alt text on images, omitting labels on buttons, and seeing an IT professional who isn’t committed to accessibility. Participants attending the Integrating Accessibility Into a Computing Career webinar quickly learned how those four items irk the following four panelists, respectively:

  • Erin Buehler, UX research manager at Google; 
  • Kirk Crawford, product manager at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS);
  • JooYoung Seo, assistant professor of information sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; and
  • Emily Young, support specialist at UC Irvine.
Continue reading

UC Irvine alumni Paul and Jo Butterworth pledge $35.5 million to Donald Bren School

February 13, 2023

Record gift will support programs fostering ICS student success and achievement

“I was considering not going to the university unless I received financial aid, because I didn’t have any money. But when UCI came through with a package to help out, that made all the difference in the world,” says alumnus Paul Butterworth, shown here with his wife, Jo Butterworth, also a UCI graduate. “This is what inspired us to pledge support for students – so they can follow their dreams despite their financial situations.” Roland Lane
Continue reading

Tribute to Geoffrey Bowker Brings Together Scholarly Community

February 8, 2023

On Jan. 13–14, 2023, an eclectic group of scholars gathered at UC Irvine’s Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences (ICS) for a two-day celebration of Emeritus Donald Bren Chair Geoffrey Bowker. The affectionately nicknamed “Bowkerfest,” hosted by the UCI Department of Informatics and Evoke Lab, included a talk by the guest of honor as part of the distinguished lecture series for UCI’s Steckler Center for Responsible, Ethical, and Accessible Technology (CREATE).

Continue reading