UX Research + Design

(taken at Pederanles State Park, TX)
Hi, I am Riya!
I am a Research Associate at the School of Information, UT Austin, where I work with Dr. Hanlin Li to study online communities at the intersection of human-computer interaction, social computing, and computer-supported cooperative work. Applying mixed-methods research techniques, I wish to understand the motivations, needs, and challenges of creators in online communities, and aim to support them by creating ethical and user-centric platforms and ecosystems. Currently, I am exploring how information professionals contribute to Wikidata.
I completed my master's in Information Science from UT Austin in May 2024 where I focused on user experience research and design. During my undergrad, I majored in computer science, and as a student researcher, I researched and developed mixed reality systems.
Along with my current position at UT, I work as a UX Researcher at Apple. Previously, I have worked or interned at HSBC, athenahealth, and research labs at IIIT Delhi and IIT Guwahati.
Publications
[POSTER]
Understanding Creators' Acceptance of Content Reuse
Riya Sinha and Hanlin Li
Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) 2024
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[FULL PAPER]
From Mild to Wild: Reimagining Friendships and Romance in the Time of Pandemic Using Design Fiction
Sumita Sharma, Netta Iivari, Marianne Kinnula, Grace Eden, Alipta Ballav, Rocio Fatas, Ritwik Kar, Deepak Ranjan Padhi, Vahid Sadeghie, Pratiti Sarkar, Riya Sinha, Rucha Tulaskar, Nikita Valluri
Designing Interactive Systems Conference (DIS) 2021
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Academic Service
Reviewing: CSCW 2024, CSCW 2025
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Talks: "How to create your first design portfolio", Intro to User Experience, Fall 2023, UT Austin.