Who We Are

We are the MiD Lab - geographically-distributed yet ever-connected

Disrupting the "Traditional" Lab Model

Research Hobbyists

Our lab is virtual. That means that we not only study technology, but we also depend on technology to facilitate our interactions. While "traditional" lab models are derived from a single institution, our lab is built around people first. We bring together a diverse and talented group of individuals from all over with a strong desire to understand the emotional, psychological, and social aspects of being a human who interacts with technology.

Because we're not tied to one institution, our lab members can be undergraduates, graduate students, or not even current students at all. Therefore, this group often does research "for fun" in their spare time. Calling themselves "research hobbyists", they are motivated by their sheer passion for research and the other people they get to interact with as part of the lab. Don't let this fool you; they are serious about conducting high-quality, impactful research.

But Why?

Sometimes it's difficult to find opportunities to get involved in the research process. And sometimes it's even more difficult to find a group of people where you feel supported and understood. This is often exacerbated if you're from an underrepresented group. As a first-generation college student herself, Dr. Eikey understands the challenges to navigating the academic world. This lab creates a community around research that is not bound to a school and does not hinge on your understanding of "how things work" at a university. This is crucial to recruiting and retaining individuals from underrepresented groups in technology domains. Our lab members are diverse in many ways, which means they each bring unique and desperately needed perspectives to studying and designing technology.

Lab Members

Dr. Elizabeth V. Eikey
MiD Lab Founder and Director

Dr. Eikey is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health & The Design Lab at the University of California, San Diego and serves as the Assistant Director and a Research Advisor for the iSchool Inclusion Institute (i3) at the University of Pittsburgh. She's passionate about advocating for mental health and helping all students - regardless of their background - reach their full potential by providing them with meaningful mentorship. Dr. Eikey completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Informatics at the University of California, Irvine and received her PhD in Information Science and Technology and her BS in Psychology at Penn State University.

For more information, see her personal website.

Christopher Frye
Team Dopamine, Team Rumination Nation, i3

Chris is a product manager at Kiswe Mobile Inc. in New Jersey. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with both a Bachelor of Science in information Science and Masters of Science in Information Science specializing in Human Centered Computing. In the near feature, Chris hopes to become a User Experience Researcher and earn his doctorate in Human Centered Computing. His research areas focus around the impact social media has on mental health, specifically to college immigrant students, and how users negatively engage with diet and fitness apps. Outside of academia, Chris enjoys fishing, Philadelphia sport teams, and playing video games with his friends.

Jordan Dodson
Team Deprew Fusion, i3

Jordan is a graduate from the University of North Carolina with degree in Information Science with a concentration in Human Computer Interaction. Their future career interests include User Experience Research and Design, Research Coordination, and Event Coordination. Outside of school, they are interested in increasing racial and gender diversity in the STEM workforce. In the future, they hope to combine their love for technology with their passion for helping people who are in low socio-economic areas. They are also interested in food security on local, national, and international levels. They work with various organizations (Food Recovery Network, Nourish, Stop Hunger Now) to ensure that people of all walks of life have access to healthy, nutritious food.

Linda Sun
Team Dopamine, i3

I recently graduated from the University of Pittsburgh, where I majored in Anthropology & Psychology. I love studying culture and understanding how we as humans form concepts of self and identity. Beyond work and research, I enjoy advocating for mental health, hiking, and perfecting the art of pie making. I currently reside in NYC.

For more information, see my LinkedIn.

Julissa Murrieta
Team Dopamine, i3

Julissa is an undergraduate student attending the University of Maryland, College Park. She is majoring in biology, specializing in ecology and evolution. She has a special interest in marine science, oceanography, and environmental conservation. In the near future, she hopes to attend graduate school to further explore these topics and solve prevalent issues in the world. Additionally, Julissa is a mental health advocate that hopes to break down the stigma of mental health among underrepresented groups. She hopes that through research, these groups can receive awareness and resources about mental health. When not involved with academia, Julissa enjoys spending time with family, visiting museums, and watching horror movies.

Naika Saint Preux
Team Deprew Fusion, i3

I came to the United States from Haiti after the tremendous earthquake in 2010. I struggled to overcome my fear to speak out loud because people made fun of my accent and still do today, but I know better to just ignore them. I am a recent graduate with Bachelor in Accounting from the College Of Westchester in White Plains, NY. My biggest interest outside of school is baking or watching baking/cooking shows. In my community, mental illness is not something that is talked about because parents don’t believe that it affects your life. I am looking to learn more about research and just loving the process and sharing the information.

Linh Ly
Team Dopamine, Team Social Media, i3

I was born in Vietnam and moved to Seattle when I was 11. I knew I had an interest in technology after taking my first computer class at the age of 10. Residing in Seattle with my family, my interest in technology grew as I got more exposure to it. Over time, my passion in technology led to my interest in understanding how humans interact with technology devices, social media platforms, and mobile applications, including network security and data analysis. I am currently working on my undergraduate degree in Sociology with a minor in Informatics at the University of Washington and considering applying for graduate school, specifically a Human-Centered Computing program.

Jenni Thang
Team Deprew Fusion, i3

I am a refugee from Myanmar(Burma). I moved to Indiana, Indianapolis when I was 8 years old. During my senior year of high school, my interest in psychology, specifically mental health, grew. Ever since then, I've been working with many organizations that deal with and advocate for mental health. I'm very passionate about advocating for mental health due to the lack of awareness in my Chin community here in Indianapolis and back home in(Chin State). I am currently an undergraduate at Indiana University, Bloomington with a major in Psychology.

Arthur Tham
Team Apps

Hello, I am a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in Computer Science at the University of California, Irvine. I enjoy coding video games for fun and event planning sports and game tournaments. I am currently working as a events and marketing assistant. In my free time, I like to experiment with marketing tools on social media, race in Mario Kart, and play basketball and softball.

Qiuer "Candi" Chen
Team Rumination Nation

My name is Qiuer but I go by Candi. I took this picture on Guangzhou Tower when I was in China last summer. *-* I'm a 3rd year, junior in Informatics at the University of California, Irvine. Tennis, going to the gym, going to the beach, and just lying on my bed are the best things in my life.

Yeyang Gu
UCI

Hi! I'm from Shanghai, China. This is my second year at the University of California, Irvine and my fourth year studying in the states. My major is Informatics, and I have a lot of passion for Human-Computer Interaction and Health Informatics.

Alec Diaz
Team Rumination Nation

Hi! I'm Alec, a 2nd year Informatics major at UC Irvine concentrating in HCI. With technology being almost everywhere, I think it’s so important to look at the impact of what all this technology has on our lives. Technology can be used for good and bad and we need to start thinking more about the long-term effects of certain technologies. Despite how pessimistic that sounds, I still love technology and use it just as much, if not more, than everyone else. Other than school, research, and work, I love playing video games and making music!

Soros Chokanarotewong
Team Rumination Nation

I am currently a third-year undergraduate at UCI, studying Informatics and specializing in HCI. I have always been interested in the power of technology and how we can better design them. Since technology is rapidly advancing and becoming more prevalent in our everyday lives, there’s a lot to learn about how it affects us as a society as well as individually. Aside from technology, I love drawing on my iPad and practicing Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Other Lab Members Not Listed

Shimika Basuroy
Zhuoxi Chen
Oliver Golden
Sierra Hagerty
Michelle Liu
Peery White

Past Lab Members or Affiliates

Lois Sulki Kim, Team Apps; Computer Science Honors BS, University of California, Irvine
Sean Victory, Team Apps; Informatics undergraduate, University of California, Irvine
Courtney Cochancela, Team Dopamine, i3; Business Administration Marketing and Management undergraduate, College of Westchester