VISITING PROFESSOR

Lucy Suchman, Professor of Sociology, Cartmel College, Lancaster University, UK was KMDI's first Visiting Professor. For 20 years, Lucy was a principal scientist and manager of the Work Practice and Technology group, a multidisciplinary research group at Xerox PARC. Her 1987 book, "Plans and Situated Actions: The Problem of Human-machine Communication", has received international acclaim, and is one of the intellectual foundations of the field of human-computer interaction (HCI). As an anthropologist her work challenged the cognitive-centric assumptions behind the design of interactive systems, using forceful arguments and detailed studies to show that human action is constructed from dynamic interactions with the material and social world. Her subsequent continuing work and influence has drawn many ethnographers and social scientists into the field. In 1988 Lucy received the Xerox Corporate Research Group's Excellence in Science and Technology Award. She was a founding member of Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility and served on its Board of Directors from 1982-1990. In 2002 she received the prestigious Benjamin Franklin Medal in Computer and Cognitive Science. At home with KMDI, Lucy became involved with KMDI's International Public Lecture Series, lectured to students in KMD1000Y, and gave a Special Lecture entitled Reconfiguring Relations at the Interface. We greatly enjoyed her term with us and look forward to future collaboration.