2013 Research Projects

"Our Experiences Are Not Unique:" An Exploratory Study of Common Motivators and Inhibitors for Latinas in STEM Fields

Hannah Hiles, North Carolina Central University
Qubilah Huddleston, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Roger Martinez, Rutgers University
Keagan Sacripanti, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Research Advisor: Jeria Quesenberry, Carnegie Mellon University, Department of Information Systems

Using a combination of quantitative surveys conducted over 11 weeks, which reached 68 participants, and qualitative interviews collecting personal stories from two participants, our research team examined the general Latina experience within the academic and professional STEM community. The central hypothesis supporting this study was that Latinas in STEM experienced a sense of alienation and a general lack of support which discouraged them from both entering into and remaining in a STEM field. Our results did not broadly support this hypothesis: within our pool of respondents, the issue of alienation and lack of support was not statistically present, but this and similar issues were addressed strongly in qualitative responses, discouraging a full rejection of our original hypothesis.

Published at iConference 2015

Hiles, H.R. (2015). “Our Experiences Are Not Unique:" An Exploratory Study of Common Motivators and Inhibitors For Latinas in STEM Fields. In iConference 2015 Proceedings.

Crowdfunding: Applying Collective Indexing of Emotions to Campaign Videos

Josue Reyes, Rutgers University
Research Advisor: Cristina Robles Bahm, University of Pittsburgh, School of Information Sciences

Preliminary work and support provided by:

Krystal Flemings, University of Texas at El Paso
Jada Winchester, University of Missouri at Columbia
Nia Hampton, University of Maryland Baltimore County

Crowdfunding has gained increasing popularity among those seeking to finance both for-profit and non-profit endeavors. Previous work has begun to explore the factors that lead to successful crowdfunding campaigns. While crowdfunding campaigns with videos have been shown to have a higher probability of success, few studies have examined their effect on giving behavior. This work begins to close the gap in the literature by presenting a method to examine the interactions between a crowdfunding campaign video and a potential supporter in terms of emotion. We present a methodology based on a technique first developed in the study of emotions and videos that utilizes the idea of collective indexing. Our results show that it is likely that the emotional footprints of each video can be measured using our methodology. From our initial findings we hope to begin the conversation on emotion and crowdfunding campaigns in the scientific community.

Accepted for publication at CSCW 2016

Effects of Social Networking Sites on User Experience

Rachel Horseman, University of Mount Union
Emily Larkin, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Jessica Vallejo, University of Notre Dame
Michelene Wilkerson, Babson College

Research Advisor: Rosta Farzan, University of Pittsburgh, School of Information Sciences

Social Networking Sites (SNS) introduced a new medium of communication among users. Facebook, Google+, and LinkedIn share several notable features between sites, while maintaining distinct user experiences. This study investigated users’ experience and ownership of accounts on multiple SNS. 40 undergraduate students, 18-24 years old, were surveyed and all 40 had Facebook accounts. Only 24 students had accounts with Google+ and 15 owned a LinkedIn account. Results showed the most significant factor affecting satisfactory user experience was the popularity of the site among users’ social circles, with the features of the site being less valued by users. The perception of a site’s purpose and how to use its features to network effectively also greatly impacted user experience. Facebook was a gold standard in that its features were present in other SNS. Further results found that although users expressed a desire for customizability, they rarely took advantage of such opportunities.

Published at iConference 2015

Horseman, R., Larkin, E., Vallejo, J., Wilkerson, M. (2015). Effects of Social Networking Sites on User Experience. In iConference 2015 Proceedings.

iGo Green: A Life Cycle Assessment of Apple's iPhone

Emely Rodriguez, The College of Westchester
Odemaris Carrasquillo, University of Puerto Rico
Christopher Lee, Vanderbilt University
Jonathan Lee, Vanderbilt University
Angela Zhou, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Research Advisor: Randy Weinberg, Carnegie Mellon University, Department of Information Systems

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions continue to rise as a result of growth in population and industrialization. Manufacturing of new products with shortened life cycles, like the iPhone, are a significant source of GHG emissions. To identify and analyze potential environmental impacts of the iPhone, a life cycle assessment (LCA) was completed. A survey of iPhone users was conducted to gain a deeper understanding of consumer behavior. As part of this research it has been found that Apple’s design of the iPhone used a strategy of planned obsolescence, resulting in a shorter life cycle, increased mining of rare earth minerals (REMs), higher rates of product turnover, and higher shipping costs and fuel usage. Surveyed iPhone users were largely unaware of Apple’s iPhone recycling program.

Published at iConference 2015

Rodriguez, E., Carrasquillo, O., Lee, C., Lee, J., Zhou, A. (2015). iGo Green: A Life Cycle Assessment of Apple’s iPhone. In iConference 2015 Proceedings.