Paul Dourish

Paul Dourish is the Chancellor's Professor in the Department of Informatics at the University of California, Irvine, and holds the Steckler Endowed Chair in the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences. He is an internationally renowned scholar in the fields of Human-Computer Interaction and Ubiquitous Computing, whose research integrates disciplines such as computer science, anthropology, science and technology studies, and cultural studies. Professor Dourish is well-known for his pioneering work on the "embodied interaction" theory, emphasizing the sociocultural context of technology use. Using ethnographic methods, he deeply explores the practices and meanings of digital technologies. He founded and leads the Steckler Center for Responsible, Ethical, and Accessible Technology (CREATE), focusing on the social impacts of technology. An ACM Fellow and member of the SIGCHI Academy, he received the ACM SIGCHI Lifetime Research Award in 2025 for his outstanding contributions to the field of Human-Computer Interaction.

• Present·University of California, Irvine·Chancellor's Professor, Department of Informatics
  • Holds the Steckler Endowed Chair in the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, with a joint faculty appointment in the Department of Anthropology
  • Founded and leads the Steckler Center for Responsible, Ethical, and Accessible Technology (CREATE)
  • Collaborated with Intel to establish the Social Computing Science and Technology Center (ISTC)
  • Researches the sociocultural contexts of digital technology production and use, primarily using ethnographic methods

• 1996·University College London·PhD in Computer Science
  • Earned a PhD in Computer Science, with research focused on Human-Computer Interaction and Collaborative Systems