Leysia Palen

Leysia Palen is a prominent computer scientist in the United States, specializing in Human-Computer Interaction and Disaster Informatics. She is a Distinguished Professor of Computer Science and Information Science at the University of Colorado Boulder and the founding chair of the Department of Information Science. Her work in the field of “crisis informatics” explores the use of social media during disasters and emergencies and its impact on socio-technical systems. By combining sociology and computer technology, Palen’s studies investigate how information and communication systems can enhance public response to disasters. She has received the ACM SIGCHI Social Impact Award and has been recognized as an ACM CHI Fellow. Her body of work includes over 90 scholarly papers and a co-edited volume, supported significantly by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

• 1998–Present·University of Colorado Boulder·Professor
  • Specializes in Human-Computer Interaction, Computer-Supported Cooperative Work, and Social Computing, with a focus on Disaster Informatics.
  • Served as the founding chair of the Department of Information Science and leads the "Crisis Informatics" research program.
• 2012–2017·University of Agder (Norway)·Full-time Visiting Professor
  • Advanced international collaboration and research in the field of Crisis Informatics.
• Pre-1998·Microsoft, Boeing, Xerox PARC, etc.·Intern and Researcher
  • Conducted research and development in the fields of information and computer science.

• 1988–1989·University of Stirling, UK·Computer Science and Psychology
  • Exchange program that established a foundation for interdisciplinary research.
• 1991·University of California, San Diego·Bachelor’s Degree
  • Majored in Cognitive Science.
• 1995·University of California, Irvine·Master’s Degree
  • Focused on Information and Computer Science.
• 1998·University of California, Irvine·PhD
  • Research focused on Human-Computer Interaction and Computer-Supported Cooperative Work.