Research

I am thankful for the opportunity to apply my design skills and learn about the field of ophthalmology at UCSF through my role as a pro-bono researcher. Currently, I assist in confidential research projects with the Department of Ophthalmology related to improving medical experiences for patients.

Background

Advised by Professor Rakesh Bhandari, my research is on investigating the needs of individuals with developmental disabilities and their support team. I conducted secondary research and interviews with nonprofits, educators, caretakers, and parents where I discovered communication problems that need to be addressed. Writing my senior thesis paper, I was inspired to build a potential solution. This led to the creation of Euphemia, a mobile application. As for my senior thesis paper, I am working on having it potentially published in the Berkeley Undergraduate Journal.

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Abstract

Communication can be especially challenging for people with developmental disabilities. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for social distancing, remote communication and communication technologies are essential tools to connect with others. People without communication disabilities may rely on technologies including smart phones, e-mail, and video chat to connect with others on a daily basis. However, these technologies many rely on regularly aren’t always accessible to the disability community. There is a great need to continue improving communication technology to bring more accessible communication tools to people with communication disabilities. People with communication disorders deserve the tools to be able to speak for themselves, especially during times when their health needs attention. Through my research, I discovered existing communication technologies and communication needs people with little to no communication ability may have. I continue to explore how users who are nonverbal and their support team may experience communicating differently by creating Euphemia, a mobile application prototype.

Berkeley Innovation Index is a research project under Professor Ikhlaq Sidhu. Under Professor Sidhu and my supervisor Elias Castro Hernandez, I worked on improving the user experience for BII, a research concept to measure an individual’s innovative mindset level. I surveyed questions, analyzed questionnaires, improved the visual appeal, and reviewed post-survey content to maximize the response rate. This produced the necessary data to measure innovation using machine learning algorithms.

During my undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley, I had the privilege of working and learning from Professor Carlo H. Séquin through one of this research teams. I investigated sweep-morph constructions in various 3D CAD programs to design mathematical knots. I mostly worked in Autodesk Fusion 360, but also have experience with Rhino, Solidworks, and Blender. My feedback helped shape the design of Non-Orientable Manifold Editor (NOME), an emerging computer-aided geometric design tool that supports mesh operations to design complex and precise free-form sculptures.

In the Hybrid Ecologies Lab, I contributed to the Guardians of Practice research project. This project took place under principal investigator, Professor Eric Paulos, and two PhD students. Our project involved developing a tool that simplified the documentation process for creative practitioners. After conducting interviews, transcribing interview recordings, researching secondary sources, my team ideated on potential documentation tools that could be effective for workshop environments.

This research was conducted through the City of Irvine and the Mayor's office. My role included collecting statistical data through secondary research and interviews on Irvine’s early childhood education system. We partnered with Irvine’s Early Childhood Learning Center and the Irvine Unified School District (IUSD) to give every child under age 5 the opportunity to attend preschool and increase the high school gradation rate. After presenting the research findings at a city council meeting, I worked on investigating how the City of Irvine can help educate their community about the benefits of early childhood education and how the city can further grow and develop daycare programs.

Irvine Preschool & Early Childhood Education Study Research Paper:

Supervisors: Pamela Baird, Assembyman Steven Choi

Authors: Antoinette Bailey, Axel Stern, Deborah (Debbie) Yuen, Madeline Loudon

Goal: Early childhood education directed at the preschool ages of 1-4 that will serve to cultivate their learning capacity and influence future academic successes.

Objective: Research programs and ideas that will allow for universal access for families in Irvine to early childhood education (ages 1-4) in which it could be appropriate for the city to fund and facilitate the program or model.