I research how people in low-income communities use technology to respond to violent crime in their neighborhoods.
—Sheena Lewis
Helping low-income communities help themselves
Sheena's research combines her two main interests: building technology and helping people. "I research new ways that people who live in high crime areas can use smartphones and computers to reduce violent crime in their communities."
What's her passion?
Developing mobile apps that empower people in low-income neighborhoods. "Many times technology isn't designed with people of lower socioeconomic status in mind—they're often marginalized," says Sheena. She believes it's essential to give people a voice in creating the digital tools that address the issues they face every day.
Digital solutions to social issues
Sheena also helped develop a mobile app that promotes healthy eating habits in African-American families. Another one of her projects was exploring how games in virtual environments (like Second Life) can improve cross-cultural interactions among coworkers.
Stimulating creativity
"I've also researched how images can change people's moods while they're using technology. We embedded happy and sad images in the sketching software participants were using, and then asked them to do a creative task. Those who viewed the happy images generated the more original ideas."
"Before we build technology, we first need to understand the community we're creating it for."
Meet Janelle, who develops a microfinance site that combats poverty.
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