New Directors Announced

It is with great pelasure that I announce that as I move toward retirement, I pass the directorship to two extremely capable and dedicated colleagues: Ico Bukvic (Music and Creativity + Innovation) and Scott McCrickard (Computer Science and Human-Computer Interaction).

I have been very pleased with the success of the Program these past 6 years: the Program’s commitment to interdisciplinary education and research, the students range of interests and their enthusiasm and ability to work across discipline bondaries, and the inclusion of design thinking, particularly human-centered design thinking in research.

The Executive Committe of the Human Centered Design program choose to have co-directors since the program is growing and changing and to represent that ever-widening set of interests. The HCD IGEP is unusual in that it is comprised of not the intersection of disciplnes, but the union of aspects of diverse disciplines. Its transdiscipinarity is therefore highly situated and our two co-directors will continue find and support new ways in which human centred design can contribute to knowlwedge creation in general and responsible design practice in particular.

Dr. Bukvic is the founder and director of the Digital Interactive Sound and Intermedia Studio (DISIS), and the world’s first Linux Laptop Orchestra (L2Ork) at Virginia Tech. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology (ICAT), a member of the Center for Human-Computer Interaction (CHCI), and, by courtesy, a faculty member in the department of Computer Science. Since 2005, he serves as the director of the international Linuxaudio.org consortium. He received his Doctorate in music composition in 2005 with cognates in computer music programming and music theory at the College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati.  Prior to joining Virginia Tech, he taught at Oberlin Conservatory and University of Cincinnati.

Dr. McCrickard is a human-computer interaction researcher with a long history of research into design rationale and methods that build upon it. Most recently he developed the Tech on the Trail research program and is probably the foremost expert on the research of mobile techonlogies use in outdoor activities. These are tied together with a foundational interest in how interfaces notify people efectiley and appropriately. Many of you know his as one of the regular faculty found at the Hack ‘n Snack located in the Moss Art Center — back when we were doing things like physically-copresent socializing.

I believe that the program is in good hands. We look forward to seeing how they will connect HCD with new programs, disciplines, and degree offerings in both Blacksburg and at the new Innovation Campus.