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about deana

Deana Brown

I am a Ph.D. student in the College of Computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology with research interests in Mobile and Ubiquitious Computing (ubicomp), Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICTD, ICT4D). My current studies are centered on technology and development in the Caribbean and Africa.

I have worked full-time as an interaction designer and have interned as a social networking and usability analyst. I hold a Masters in Information Technology (2009) with a concentration in Human-Computer Interaction and a Bachelors degree (2007) in Computer Science.

interests

human-computer interaction for development (HCI4D), information visualization, web development, interaction design, UI design, usability engineering, user-centered design, mobile devices, cross-cultural design, ICT and Development (ICTD)

background

I am a 'yaadie' which is patois for a native of Jamaica. I grew up in the south-central part of the island, May Pen, Clarendon where I graduated from Glenmuir High School. After that I moved to the United States and began university. My early life experiences have made me uneasy about global disparities in information and communication technologies (ICT). Initiatives like open source software, mobile technology and free services are a step in the right direction, making tools available to populations who otherwise could not have access to them. Worldwide we've come a far way but much still needs to be done to bridge this unfortunate gap.

Highlights

publications

• Brown, D. (2009). Designing a cell phone application to alert and report drinking water quality to South Africans. Ann Arbor, Michigan: ProQuest UMI Publishing. (view)

presentations

• (2009). Presentation: Water Alert!. Cape Town, South Africa: University of Cape Town.
• (2009). Thesis defense: Designing a cell phone application to alert and report drinking water quality to South Africans. Rochester, New York: Rochester Institute of Technology
• (2007). Senior Project Presentation: Indoor Navigation of Mobile Robots. Appleton, Wisconsin: Lawrence University

media

• Printed May 21, 2009. Rochester, New York: RIT New & Events (view)
• November 7, 2008. RIT’s Women in Computing Group Awards Five Scholarships. Rochester, New York: University News
• 2008. YouTube: Google Workshop for Women Engineers (view)
• 2007-2009. B. Thomas Golisano Progress Report-College of Computing and Information Sciences. Rochester, New York