Summer 2026

Summer started on June 21st. Two days later, after visiting my parents in Buffalo, en route back to NYC, while on the plane, I got an email that said my time with Google was coming to an end, my role was no longer needed. I learned that my tiny team, AI Research & Standards, no longer needed researchers. One more in a set of moves where Trust & Safety at Google decided not to invest in research.¹

So for the first time in a decade, I have the summer off.

• I’m just working on a bunch of research projects, including two with the interns we have at Google this summer, and working towards submitting four five(!) CHI papers. (Yes, having the summer off means I’m working—but on the things I want to work on.)²
• I’m co-chairing my fourth and final SOUPS event, in Hannover, Germany and SOUPS is in great hands with Sascha Fahl taking over as General Chair for 2027.

• I’m spending a bunch of time in NYC, working on some apartment improvements, seeing friends who were visiting.
• USENIX Security is down in Baltimore, and I attended a (and spoke on a lil career panel) pre-USENIX workshop that friends at Johns Hopkins ran for Security + AI / usability researchers.
• I’ve been building myself an actual website also for the first time in a decade³, and here it is! You’re on it! Please let me know what you think.
• I’m traveling to Istanbul⁴ for the first time, more photos forthcoming…

#Footnotes

1. Just a few months later T&S would actually absorb a broader AI Responsibility team from GDM with researchers—I hope this encourages T&S to better understand and grow their research efforts. ↩

2. LOVE working on research while having far far far fewer meetings! People can’t just put things on my calendar! ↩

3. Modern functions! Allllll my papers! More to come!! ↩

4. I’ve been saying this is my post-SOUPS convalescing trip, and it’s glorious. ↩