Laura J Perovich

Laura J. Perovich is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Art and Design at Northeastern University. Her research spans the fields of art and design, data physicalization, human-computer interaction, and environmental health, focusing on addressing environmental challenges through community participatory design. By creatively presenting and interpreting environmental data, her work helps the public understand and take action on environmental issues. She received her Ph.D. (2020) and Master's degree (2014) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with her doctoral dissertation exploring how art and technology can collaborate with communities to tackle water quality issues. Before joining academia, she conducted research on the health impacts of environmental factors at the Silent Spring Institute and served as a Peace Corps volunteer. Her background integrates interdisciplinary research, textile arts, and movement practice.

• 2020–Present·Northeastern University·Assistant Professor
  • Teaches courses in information design, interaction design, and experience design. Research focuses on data physicalization and environmental data interaction.
• 2015–2020·MIT Media Lab·Doctoral Researcher
  • Investigated how art and technology can collaborate with communities to address water quality issues, including the development of data physicalization and real-time visualization tools.
• 2010–2015·Silent Spring Institute·Researcher
  • Studied the relationships between environmental chemicals and diseases (e.g., cancer and asthma) and reported personalized chemical exposure data.

• 2014–2020·Massachusetts Institute of Technology·Ph.D.
  • Research focused on the social impact of data physicalization and environmental health issues.
• 2012–2014·Massachusetts Institute of Technology·Master's Degree
  • Explored the interaction and physical expression of public health data.
• 2004–2008·Bowdoin College·Bachelor's Degree
  • Majored in Applied Mathematics and Religion.