Alexis Hiniker

Alexis Hiniker is an Associate Professor in the University of Washington Information School, Ph.D. Program Chair, and Director of the User Empowerment Lab. Since 2025 she has also been Co-Director of the University of Washington Center for Digital Youth. Her work combines user-centered design with theory from multiple disciplines to study how everyday technologies can harm users and how alternative systems can better support autonomy and the wellbeing of children and teens. Her research covers online conversation, dark and manipulative patterns, compulsive technology use, voice and personified interfaces, social media, and human-AI interaction.

She was a Jacobs Foundation Research Fellow from 2021–2023, received a Google Research Scholar Award in 2023, and received the ACM SIGCHI Societal Impact Award in 2025. Current roles and research themes were checked against the UW faculty profile, personal website, and public CV.

• 2022–Present·University of Washington Information School·Associate Professor; Ph.D. Program Chair
  • Also serves as Director of the User Empowerment Lab and holds adjunct associate professor appointments in HCDE and the Allen School.
• 2017–2022·University of Washington Information School·Assistant Professor
• 2012–2017·University of Washington HCDE·Graduate Research Assistant
• 2012–2014·Go Go Games Studios, LLC·Co-Founder and CTO
• 2016·Microsoft Research·Research Intern
• 2005–2011·Microsoft Corporation·Engineer and Manager

• 2012–2017·University of Washington·PhD in Human Centered Design and Engineering
• 2011–2012·Stanford University·MA in Learning, Design and Technology
• 2001–2005·Harvard University·AB in Computer Science

This profile was checked against the UW faculty profile, Alexis Hiniker's personal website, the public CV updated March 2026, the User Empowerment Lab page, and the Jacobs Foundation profile on 2026-09-23. Detailed source registration, limitations, and old-to-new corrections are recorded in the review evidence.