HCI Researcher
Ph.D., University of Maryland
College of Information
I defended my Ph.D. in Information Studies in September 2026 at the University of Maryland, College Park, where I was advised by Professor Amanda Lazar. Prior to my Ph.D., I earned a B.S. in Computer Science from Virginia Tech, where I worked with Professor Sang Won Lee to design interactive systems that facilitate empathy among users.
My research takes a sociotechnical perspective to understand and advance equitable technology design, particularly for people whose experiences, capacities, and perspectives have historically been marginalized. To date, my research has focused on older adults and people experiencing cognitive concerns. I examine how assumptions about people shape technology design, how people experience and use technologies in everyday life, and how they can meaningfully influence design decisions. I draw on qualitative, ethnographic, and participatory approaches to pursue these questions.
My research has been published at ACM CHI, CSCW, and ASSETS. My collaborative work received a CHI 2025 Best Paper Award and a CHI 2026 Best Paper Honorable Mention, along with recognition for research excellence from the HCIL Maryland Way Award.
A few recurring themes in my research are:
I critically examine how assumptions, values, and dominant ways of knowing become embedded in technology design—and whose perspectives are centered or excluded as a result.
I investigate how people encounter, interpret, adapt, and sometimes resist technologies in everyday life, with close attention to lived experience and social relationships.
I develop methods and design practices that enable people to question researchers’ interpretations and meaningfully shape design decisions.
On October 27, I joined Professor Keke Wu’s Design Research Methods for Interactive Systems course as a guest speaker and facilitator. I answered students’ questions about two of my design research papers, including how I developed the research questions, made and operationalized design decisions, and used data to answer those questions. I also offered feedback on their ongoing projects, helping them understand design as a form of inquiry in Human-Computer Interaction.
Invited panelist to share experiences in community-based research with graduate students, hosted by Professor Sheena Erete.
Invited to share my research at Professor Stephanie Valencia²'s lab: “Exploring Capacities of Older Adults and People with Cognitive Impairments in Using Technology.”
🎉 Had two full papers conditionally accepted to CHI 2026!
Invited Panelist for “A Panel on Graduate School” at the University of Maryland, hosted by Professor Eun Kyoung Choe, sharing PhD experiences with undergraduate students.
Served as Co-Instructor for INST 808: Seminar in Research Methods and Data Analysis at the University of Maryland, College Park.
Headed to Yokohama, Japan for CHI 2025 (April 26 – May 1)! Let’s connect if you’ll be around.
🏆 Received the Best Paper Award at CHI 2025!
🏅 Received the HCIL Maryland Way Award (Honorable Mention for Research Excellence, $250).
🎉 Had two full papers accepted to CHI 2025!
Invited to share my research at Professor Ge Gao's lab: “Supporting Meaningful Activities While Navigating Aging and Cognitive Changes.”
Invited Panelist for INST 802 at the University of Maryland, hosted by Prof. Sheena Erete, discussing academic writing and research development with doctoral students.
Invited to give a talk at Columbia HCI: “Exploring Videoconferencing Technology Use While Navigating Aging and Cognitive Changes.”
Attended ATIA 2025 Pre-Conference in Orlando, FL - such an energizing start to the year!
Presented first-authored paper at CSCW 2024 (San José, Costa Rica): “Sustaining the Usefulness and Appeal of an Older Adult-led Makerspace through Developing and Adapting Resources”
Presented first-authored paper at ASSETS 2024 (St. John’s, Canada): “Exploring Videoconferencing for Older Adults with Cognitive Concerns Using a Dramaturgical Lens.”
🎉 Had VL/HCC full paper accepted (with Daniel Manesh, Marx Wang, Sang Won Lee): “Beyond TAP: Piggybacking on IFTTT to Connect Triggers and Actions with JavaScript.”
🎉 Had one full paper accepted to ASSETS 2024!
🎉 Had one full paper accepted to CSCW 2024!
Ruipu Hu, Eun Kyoung Choe, and Amanda Lazar. Looking Beyond the Screen to Study the Technology Use of Older People Experiencing Cognitive Concerns. ACM CHI ’26. [PDF]
Amanda Lazar, Elissa Carpio, Ruipu Hu, Beth Barnett, Kibron Tesfatsion, and Sheena Erete. Interrogating the “Us” Versus “Them” Dichotomy in Technology Research with Older Adults. ACM CHI ’26. [PDF] 🏆 Honorable Mention.
Ruipu Hu and Amanda Lazar. Surfacing Technology Routines While Studying Videoconferencing Among Older Adults with Cognitive Concerns. ACM CHI ’25. [PDF]
Amelia Short, Norman Makoto Su, Ruipu Hu, Eun Kyoung Choe, Hernisa Kacorri, Margaret Danilovich, David E. Conroy, Shannon Jette, Beth Barnett, and Amanda Lazar. Tracking and its Potential for Older Adults with Memory Concerns. ACM CHI ’25. [PDF] 🏆 Best Paper Award.
Ajit G. Pillai, Renxuan Liu, Jung-Joo Lee, Janghee Cho, Insun Baek, Adrian Choi, Kevin Doherty, Christopher Ferguson, Ruipu Hu, Sarah Kettley, Seonghoon Kim, Jiashuo Liu, Tse Pei Ng, Adrian Petterson, Matt Ratto, Celeste Seah, Yiming Yao, and Yiying Wu. Speculating and Disentangling the Relationship Between Technology and Care Work. ACM DIS ’25 Companion. [PDF]
Ruipu Hu, Ge Gao, and Amanda Lazar. Exploring Videoconferencing for Older Adults with Cognitive Concerns Using a Dramaturgical Lens. ACM ASSETS ’24. [PDF]
Ruipu Hu, Alisha Pradhan, Elizabeth Bonsignore, and Amanda Lazar. Sustaining the Usefulness and Appeal of an Older Adult-led Makerspace through Developing and Adapting Resources. PACM HCI (CSCW ’24). [PDF]
Daniel Manesh, Marx Boyuan Wang, Ruipu Hu, and Sang Won Lee. Beyond TAP: Piggybacking on IFTTT to Connect Triggers and Actions with JavaScript. IEEE VL/HCC ’24. [PDF]
Ruipu Hu, Nancy Roderer, and Amanda Lazar. Studying Older Adults’ Perceptions on AI Through AI Lectures. MobiCom4AgeTech ’24. [PDF]
Marx Boyuan Wang, Daniel Manesh, Ruipu Hu, and Sang Won Lee. IThem: Programming Internet of Things Beyond Trigger-Action Pattern. UIST ’22 Adjunct. [PDF]
Amber Aftab, Ruipu Hu, and Sang Won Lee. Remo: Generating Interactive Tutorials by Demonstration for Online Tasks. UIST ’20 Adjunct. [PDF]