Curriculum Vitae
Education
- Ph.D in Human-Centered Design and Engineering, University of Washington, 2027 (Expected)
Concentration: Human-Computer Interaction, AI/ML Fairness
Co-Advised by Dr. Daniela K. Rosner and Dr. Katharina Reinecke
- M.S. in Human-Centered Design and Engineering, University of Washington, 2025
Co-Advised by Dr. Daniela K. Rosner and Dr. Katharina Reinecke
- M.S. in Systems Engineering, University of Virginia, 2022
Thesis: “The SPORT-C Intervention: An Integration of Sports, Case-Based Pedagogy, and Systems Thinking Learning” Advised by Dr. William Scherer
- B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 2018
Minor: Green Engineering
Research Experience
Tactile and Tactical Design Lab x Wildlab @ University of Washington
Graduate Research Assistant (September 2022 – Present)
Not Like Us, Hunty: Measuring Perceptions and Behavioral Effects of Minoritized Anthropomorphic Cues in LLMs
- Designed and executed two large-scale user studies (n=985) examining whether LLM sociolect usage affects user reliance and perception among African American English (AAE) and Queer slang speakers.
- Recruited and coordinated 498 AAE speakers and 487 Queer slang speakers across counterbalanced question-answering tasks comparing LLM agents in Standard American English (SAE) vs. self-identified sociolect conditions.
- Found that both AAE and Queer slang speakers relied more on and held more positive perceptions of the SAE agent, while Queer slang speakers uniquely reported greater social presence from the sociolect agent, surfacing meaningful divergence across minoritized communities.
- Demonstrated the need to measure behavioral outcomes rather than assuming personalization leads to improved reliance and safety, challenging a dominant assumption in adaptive AI design.
- Published in Proceedings of the 2025 ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency (FAccT ‘25); 26.8% acceptance rate.
Hopeful Failure: How Collaborative Design Fiction Reimagines AI
- Developed “Exquisite Tellings,” a novel participatory storytelling method, and facilitated collaborative design fiction workshops with 10 Black American participants to center marginalized voices in speculative AI futures.
- Synthesized workshop narratives to surface five engagement axes with AI that blend acceptance and resistance, moving beyond binary optimism/pessimism framings dominant in prior HCI and futures research.
- Demonstrated that collective design fiction, balancing individual agency with shared imagination, can generate community-centered visions of AI that reflect the complexity of marginalized communities’ lived experiences.
- Introduced a replicable methodological contribution to participatory HCI, expanding the toolkit available for inclusive speculative design research.
- Accepted to ACM Designing Interactive Systems (DIS 2026); 21% acceptance rate.
Should AI Mimic People? Understanding AI-Supported Writing Technology Among Black Users
- Designed and conducted a two-phase qualitative study examining how Black American users experience AI-supported writing technologies, combining 13 semi-structured interviews with a remote-moderated user study of Google Docs and ChatGPT.
- Synthesized findings across participants to document expectations, apprehensions, and perceptions of NLP tools among Black American users, contributing empirical grounding to an underexamined population in HCI research.
- Uncovered a novel concern absent from prior literature: the potential for AI-driven gradual erasure of Black American cultural expression as future generations increasingly depend on AI for information.
- Published in Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction (CSCW 2025); journal-style peer review with an effective selectivity of ~15–20%.
The Sports Analytics Club Program
Mixed-Methods Researcher (February 2021 – May 2022)
Monumental Sports and Entertainment
Data Analyst (January 2021 – March 2021)
Publications
Basoah, J., Reinecke, K., Rosner, D., & Ogbonnaya-Ogburu, I. F. (2026). Hopeful failure: How collaborative design fiction reimagines AI. In Proceedings of the Designing Interactive Systems Conference (DIS '26). ACM. https://doi.org/10.1145/3800645.3813092
Jeffrey Basoah, Jay L. Cunningham, Erica Adams, Alisha Bose, Aditi Jain, Kaustubh Yadav, Zhengyang Yang, Katharina Reinecke, and Daniela Rosner. 2025. Should AI Mimic People? Understanding AI-Supported Writing Technology Among Black Users. Proc. ACM Hum.-Comput. Interact. 9, 7, Article 242 (November 2025), 51 pages.
Cunningham, J. L., Adjagbodjou, A., Basoah, J., Jawara, J., Kadoma, K., & Lewis, A. (2025). Toward Responsible ASR for African American English Speakers: A Scoping Review of Bias and Equity in Speech Technology. In Proceedings of the 2025 AAAI/ACM Conference on AI, Ethics, and Society (AIES-2025). Madrid, Spain.
Jeffrey Basoah, Daniel Chechelnitsky, Tao Long, Katharina Reinecke, Chrysoula Zerva, Kaitlyn Zhou, Mark Díaz, and Maarten Sap. 2025. Not Like Us, Hunty: Measuring Perceptions and Behavioral Effects of Minoritized Anthropomorphic Cues in LLMs. In Proceedings of the 2025 ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency (FAccT ’25). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, 710–745.
Basoah, J., Scherer, W., Boyd-Sinkler, K., & Bailey, R. (in press). The SPORT-C Intervention: An Integration of Sports, Case-Based Pedagogy, and Systems Thinking Learning. In H. R. Arabnia (Ed.), Proceedings of the 2026 International Conference on Applied Computing (CAC 2026). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2307.11755
Work experience
Microsoft
Design Researcher, Intern (June 2025 – September 2025)
- Led foundational research shaping mid- to long-term AI UX strategy for Microsoft’s Agent 365 initiative, focusing on risks and design opportunities around personified, agentic AI and AI-powered digital workers
- Conducted an extensive literature and discourse review spanning over 30 academic research papers and public debate on agentic AI; synthesized insights into a taxonomy of 14 organizational, group, and individual-level risks
- Mapped each risk to existing and emergent design mitigation tactics, producing a scalable risk-to-mitigation framework that informed BIC’s Responsible AI design strategy
- Conducted 15+ cross-functional interviews with engineers, product managers, and designers to understand perceptions and apprehensions toward agentic AI, uncovering needs for clearer design guardrails and risk literacy.
- Identified and prioritized the top three critical risks for immediate mitigation, collaborating with the cross-functional Agent 365 team to prototype design principle cards used to guide AI UX teams across BIC
- Developed strategic recommendations and foresight and presented those findings to BIC’s Corporate Vice President, research leadership, global design organization, and the company-wide Aether v-team, influencing the responsible deployment of agentic AI across Microsoft 365 and Dynamics ecosystems
- Findings were surfaced by Microsoft’s Office of Responsible AI and integrated into early company-wide policy and governance frameworks guiding AI agent design
IBM Corporation
User Experience Researcher, Senior Intern (January 2024 – August 2024)
- Initiated and implemented a company-wide program to identify challenges across multiple clients, with a focus on improving user experience and engagement
- Conducted qualitative research through usability testing to guide design strategies for proprietary product development
- Improved product’s UMUX score by 14% amount within a period of 6 months by identifying key areas for improvement and developing a strategic plan encompassing usability testing and design critiques with users to enhance user experience
- Informed product team direction by conducting an in-depth qualitative study to identify and uncover new user segments for growth which influenced the design and development priorities of design iterations of user interfaces and product features
- Through my qualitative research I was able to identify a new user group that the development team had not considered as primary users for the product. This led to the creation of a new user segments that influenced the direction we took with product enhancement
User Experience Researcher, Senior Intern (June 2023 – September 2023)
- Analyzed over 20 customer feedback on a bi-weekly frequency to identify key highlights and challenges faced by customers during product beta testing program; analysis was used to influence product development and align with product strategy for the upcoming release
- Compiled and synthesized over 100 user comments to inform the development of 5 generative research workshop sessions with user base; workshops served as the foundational discussions that shed light on user grievances with most recent product release
- Oversaw the conduction of over 15 internal interviews to assess the impact of 2 distinct visual frameworks on client adoption of the product platform, deriving 7 evidence-based insights and recommendations; findings served as the foundation for exploratory research with customers that would garner greater adoption of product
User Experience Researcher, Intern (May 2022 – December 2022)
- Conducted 2 heuristic evaluations of z/OS Management Services Catalog product by evaluating primary end-to-end user flows of 2 personas with latest code; Identified 20 improvement points within user flows
- Collaborated with User Experience Designer to architect and design team’s 2 Airtable databases and sponsor user feedback forms; improvements allow for easy capture of user experience feedback and seamless integration with current client feedback process
- Administered 6 usability tests on sponsor users with new product designs while working alongside the User Experience Designer to form a research plan; utilized an affinity map to synthesize results and then communicated to three-in-a-box team
- Developed an on-platform CSAT survey to over 200 participants to measure customer satisfaction and usability of IBM’s Management Services Catalog platform
Intel Corporation
Process Engineer (August 2018 – August 2020)
- Modeled and assessed tool trends of over 150 tools to predict and identify potential unscheduled downtime using Statistical Process Control (SPC) system
- Launched a daily report for the SCC toolset tracking and monitoring matching discrepancies across 3 tools, led to biweekly optimization of all tool’s measured layers
- Revamped disposition system for REG valid data failures toolset to maintain seamless data review and communication throughout all 4 shifts and command center
- Chaired project formed to reduce quarterly spending for DPCdc, reduced spending by an average of $6000 per quarter while doubling allocated annual budget
- Managed and investigated equipment failures of 7 tools, diagnosed faulty operation and incorporated learnings into procedures to anticipate future equipment issues
- Shaped DPCdc availability roadmap; tool availability improved from an annual average of 86% to 94% as tool owner
Ford Motor Company
Stamping Coordinator, Intern (May 2016 – August 2016)
- Developed visual aids and single point lessons for new control point process verification system, increasing quality of stamped panels by 25%
- Implemented verification system into assembly line, educated & coached 20 Tool & Die staff in proper procedure
Grants
2026
- University of Washington Human Centered Design & Engineering Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Grant – Awarded ~$400
- Support grassroots diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within the department. Proposals can cover a wide range of community building, group training, and other DEI-related efforts.
2023
- University of Washington Human Centered Design & Engineering Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Grant – Awarded ~$700
- Support grassroots diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within the department. Proposals can cover a wide range of community building, group training, and other DEI-related efforts.
- University of Washington Human Centered Design & Engineering Doctoral Research Grant – Awarded ~$1,400
- Designed to support HCDE PhD students who need assistance to carry out research that advances their progress toward their degree.
Teaching Experience
Graduate Teaching Assistant
University of Washington - CSE 581: Computer Ethics (Winter 2026)
- Facilitated weekly graduate-level seminar discussions on ethics in computing, engaging students across CS, HCDE, and information science in critical analysis of algorithmic fairness, AI accountability, and responsible technology design.
- Mentored 6+ student research teams through a quarter-long independent ethics research project, guiding proposal development, research design, and fairness/justice-oriented analysis culminating in a publishable-style paper (4–6 pages) and poster presentation.
- Provided formative feedback on student work at the intersection of technical systems and social impact, drawing on ongoing scholarship in AI sociolinguistic bias and minoritized user experiences to ground seminar discussions in active scholarship.
University of Washington - HCDE492: Capstone Planning (Winter 2024), Senior Capstone (Spring 2024, Spring 2025)
- Facilitated discussions and group activities during class sessions for over 70 students to enhance learning and engagement
- Served as a mentor for 4 4-person industry-sponsored capstone groups over the course of two quarters, promoting academic integrity, professionalism, and ethical practices
- Conducted review sessions and provided guidance to students on course concepts, assignments, and capstone milestones
University of Virginia - SYS3034: System Evaluation (Spring 2021, Spring 2022)
- Provided academic support and instruction to 60 students in undergraduate level course
- Facilitated classroom discussion sessions and held weekly office hours to provide tutoring, counseling, or assistance to students in need
- Contributed to the development of appropriate teaching materials to ensure content and methods of delivery met learning objectives
University of Virginia - SYS6001: Intro to Systems Analysis & Design (Fall 2021)
- Delivered comprehensive academic support and instruction to a cohort of 30 graduate-level students, ensuring a conducive learning environment and fostering intellectual growth.
- Collaborated with faculty members to facilitate lectures, evaluate student performance, and conduct grading assessments, contributing to the overall success of the instructional team.
Honors and Awards
2025 AFCEA Ralph W. Shrader Graduate Scholarship
2024 Social Action Term Fellowship in Human-Centered Design & Engineering
2023 Neon Blackboard Term Fellowship in Human-Centered Design& Engineering
2022 University of Washington College of Engineering Dean’s Fellowship
2022 GOMAP Top Off Award, Graduate Student Equity & Excellence (GSEE)
2022 GEM Full Engineering Fellow, The National GEM Consortium and IBM – Ph.D.
2021 Inclusive Excellence Fellow
2021 National Society of Black Engineers Honors APEx Member
2020 GEM Full Engineering Fellow, The National GEM Consortium and Intel – M.S.
2020 Intel Scholar
2013 Virginia Tech Presidential Scholarship Initiative Recipient
Invited Talks and Panels
2026 Guest Lecture – Inclusive Design and Engineering (Winter Quarter)
2025 Guest Lecture – Inclusive Design and Engineering (Winter Quarter)
2024 Guest Lecture – Inclusive Design and Engineering (Winter Quarter)
2022 Presenter - The 18th International Conference on Frontiers in Education: Computer Science & Computer Engineering
2021 Panelist - Navigating & Maximizing Professional Conferences
2021 Presenter - Darden Executive MBA Course: Data Analytics and Leadership Judgment in Sports
2020 Panelist - Tapia Conference: Secure Your Bag(s) & Degree(s): Graduate School Edition
Leadership
2022 - Present Design Lead and Mentor - A Vision for Engineering Literacy & Access (AVELA)
2022 – 2023 Professional Development Program Committee Member – National Society of Black Engineers (UoW)
2021 - 2022 Program Assistant - Men/Women of Color, Honor, and Ambition (M.O.C.H.A/W.O.C.H.A)
2017 - Present Co-Founder, Board of Director – Acquiring Knowledge for Transcendence, Inc. (Non-Profit)
2015 – 2016 Senator – National Society of Black Engineers (Virginia Tech)
Professional & Service Activities
Department Service
2024 PhD Admissions Review Committee, University of Washington Human-Centered Design & Engineering
2023 - Present PhD Student Ambassador, University of Washington Human-Centered Design & Engineering
2023 PhD Admissions Review Committee, University of Washington Human-Centered Design & Engineering
Involvement and Community Engagement
2022 - Present Member/ Outreaching Grad - Graduate Student Equity & Excellence (GSEE) – University of Washington
2022 - Present Member – Black Graduate Student Association (BGSA) – University of Washington
2017 - Present Board of Director, Education Outreach – Acquiring Knowledge for Transcendence, Inc
Conferences
2026 ACM Designing Interactive Systems (DIS 2026)
2025 The 28th ACM Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing (CSCW 2025)
2023 ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI)
2022 The 18th International Conference on Frontiers in Education: Computer Science & Computer Engineering
2022 GEM Annual Board Meeting and Conference
2022 NSBE National Convention
2021 CMD-IT/ACM Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing Conference
2021 NSBE Fall Regional Conference – Region 2
2021 AfroTech Conference
2021 Black is Tech Conference
2021 GEM Annual Board Meeting and Conference
2020 CMD-IT/ACM Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing Conference
2013 - 2018 NSBE National Convention and Fall Regional 2 Conference
Skills
- Qualitative Research
- Semi Structured Interviews
- Remote Moderated Usability Testing
- Heuristic Evaluation
- Usability Testing
- Affinity Mapping
- Experimental Design
- Stakeholder Walkthrough
- Survey Design
- Participatory Design / Co-Design Facilitation
- Thematic Analysis
- Quantitative Research
- Linear Regression
- Binary Regression
- Hypothesis Testing
- Chi-Square
- ANOVA
- T-Test
- Correlation
- Power Analysis
- Within-Subjects Experimental Design
- Between-Subjects Experimental Design
- Psychometric Scale Development and Adaptation
- Project Management
- Multi-Phase Study Design and Execution
- Research Timeline and Milestone Management
- Cross-Institutional Research Collaboration
- Grant Writing and Reporting
- Research Budget Management
- Stakeholder Communication and Research Translation
- Analytical Tools
- Minitab
- Tableau
- Power BI
- Qualtrics
- Airtable
- Advanced Microsoft Excel
- Programming Languages
