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Marshini Chetty Joins Maryland’s iSchool The College of Information Studies of the University of Maryland, Maryland’s iSchool, welcomes Marshini Chetty as an assistant professor. Chetty, who received her doctorate in Human-Centered Computing from the Georgia Institute of Technology, specializes in human-computer interaction and ubiquitous computing. In her previous research, Chetty studied users’ engagement, use, and understanding of home networks and created a series of network visualization tools to address common user problems. A native of South Africa, much of Chetty’s current research focuses on providing everyday users with the information needed to manage complex technologies such as broadband networks, particularly under infrastructural constraints. “Growing up in a rich and diverse country in the developing world instilled in me a desire to use my research for empowering people with information in whatever ways I can,” she says. “As such, I have a deep appreciation for computing under the constraints of poor performance and high costs.” Chetty will continue her innovative research at the iSchool. “My aim is to help iSchool students learn how to challenge assumptions of infrastructure-rich environments (e.g. always-on power and high-speed Internet access) and to apply what they learn to situations where resources may not be as plentiful.” Before joining the iSchool, Chetty completed post-doctoral fellowships with ResearchICTAfrica, assessing the quality of broadband in South Africa, and the Georgia Institute of Technology’s College of Computing, developing innovative tools for home networks. In the course of her Ph.D. work, she interned with IBM Research in New York and Microsoft Research in Seattle, Cambridge, U.K., and Cape Town, South Africa. During her Ph.D., Chetty was also awarded a Fulbright Scholarship, a Google Anita Borg Scholarship, and an Intel Ph.D. Fellowship to support her research. In addition to her Ph.D., Chetty holds bachelors and masters degrees in computer science from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. This fall, she will teach INFM 605, Users and Use Context, at the iSchool. About Maryland’s iSchool The College of Information Studies, Maryland's iSchool, empowers people, organizations and society to use information effectively through its research and undergraduate, graduate and professional programs. Maryland's iSchool enables students and faculty to create new ways for people to connect with information that will transform society and is ideally located in the information capital of the world- the Washington DC metro region. The iSchool is transforming itself as well, from a small college with a strong foundation in library and information studies programs to a fast-growing and groundbreaking center of expertise that will help people manage the information explosion from childhood to adulthood. For more information, visit www.ischool.umd.edu<http://www.ischool.umd.edu>. Mary Carroll-Mason Communications Coordinator College of Information Studies, Maryland's iSchool University of Maryland 4105J Hornbake Building College Park, MD 20742 [log in to unmask] (301) 405-1260 ischool.umd.edu<http://ischool.umd.edu/> Twitter: @I_UMD