Karrie Karahalios

Karrie Karahalios is an assistant professor in computer science at the University of Illinois where she heads the Social Spaces Group. Her work focuses on the interaction between people and the social cues they perceive in networked electronic spaces. Of particular interest are interfaces for pubic online and physical gathering spaces such as chatrooms, cafes, parks, etc.

The goal is to create interfaces that enable users to perceive conversational patterns that are present, but not obvious, in traditional communication interfaces.

The groups current work involves integrating social catalysts into the design of interfaces for connecting spaces using audio and video.

Previous projects include: Visiphone, a communication object that visualizes conversation patterns between two spaces; Hear&Here;, an augmented reality interface for placing sound envelopes in space and retrieving them with an audio interface; Chit Chat Club, a hybrid social space that combines the immediacy of the traditional cafe with the global reach and easy introductions of an online chat.

Karrie completed a S.B. in electrical engineering, an M.Eng. in electrical engineering and computer science, and an S.M. and Ph.D in media arts and science at
MIT.