Karon E. MacLean is a computer scientist and mechanical engineer whose research involves

haptic technology Haptic technology (also kinaesthetic communication or 3D touch) is technology that can create an experience of touch by applying forces, vibrations, or motions to the user. These technologies can be used to create virtual objects in a computer s ...

and

affective haptics Affective haptics is an area of research which focuses on the study and design of devices and systems that can elicit, enhance, or influence the emotional state of a human by means of sense of touch. The research field is originated with the Dzmitr ...

human–computer interaction Human–computer interaction (HCI) is the process through which people operate and engage with computer systems. Research in HCI covers the design and the use of computer technology, which focuses on the interfaces between people (users) and comp ...

and

human–robot interaction Human–robot interaction (HRI) is the study of interactions between humans and robots. Human–robot interaction is a multidisciplinary field with contributions from human–computer interaction, artificial intelligence, robotics, natural languag ...

. Educated in the US, she works in Canada as a professor of computer science and Canada Research Chair in Interactive Human Systems Design at the

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a Public university, public research university with campuses near University of British Columbia Vancouver, Vancouver and University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, in British Columbia, Canada ...

Education and career

MacLean was an undergraduate at

Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...

, where she graduated in 1986 with a double major in biological sciences and mechanical engineering. She earned a master's degree in mechanical engineering at to the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

(MIT) in 1988. After two years working as an engineer at the

University of Utah The University of Utah (the U, U of U, or simply Utah) is a public university, public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. It was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret (Book of Mormon), Deseret by the General A ...

, she returned to MIT for a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, completed in 1996. She was a researcher for

Interval Research Corporation Interval Research Corporation was founded in 1992 by Paul Allen and David Liddle. It was a Palo Alto laboratory and technology incubator focusing on consumer product applications and services with a focus on the Internet. A 1997 version of the ...

from 1996 to 2000. In 2000, she became an assistant professor at the University of British Columbia (UBC); she has been a full professor there since 2010. At UBC, she is the co-founder and director of the Designing for People (DFP) Research Cluster, director of the Sensory Perception and Interaction Research Group, and associate director of the Institute for Computing, Information and Cognitive Systems.

Recognition

MacLean was given a tier 1

Canada Research Chair Canada Research Chair (CRC) is a title given to certain Canadian university research professors by the Canada Research Chairs Program. Program goals The Canada Research Chair program was established in 2000 as a part of the Government of Canada ...

in Interactive Human Systems Design by the

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC; , CRSNG) is the major federal agency responsible for funding natural sciences and engineering research in Canada. NSERC directly funds university professors and students as ...

in 2021. She was elected as an

IEEE Fellow , the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is an American 501(c)(3) public charity professional organization for electrical engineering, electronics engineering, and ot ...

, in the 2023 class of fellows, "for contributions to the design of haptic communication", and is a Distinguished Lecturer of the IEEE Technical Committee for Haptics.

References

External links

Home page
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Maclean, Karon Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American computer scientists American women computer scientists American mechanical engineers American women engineers Canadian computer scientists Canadian women computer scientists Canadian mechanical engineers Canadian women engineers Stanford University alumni Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni Academic staff of the University of British Columbia Fellows of the IEEE