Biography
Dr Hee Rin Lee is an assistant professor in the Department of Media & Information at Michigan State University, United States working in the field of Human-Robot Interaction (HRI). Lee's work addresses problems beyond the efficiency and functionality that are often prioritised in the advancement of robotics. Lee designs and evaluates robots for social good with the aim of empowering socially marginalised groups, including people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, racial minorities, and older adults. This work will strengthen the autonomy of marginalised people in society to bring about positive social change. As an expert in community-based participatory design within the field of robotics, Dr Lee adopted community health approaches to explore health issues as a holistic experience that requires environmental support within the broader community. Throughout her research career, she has built long-term relationships with community centres and co-designed robots with individuals with various health issues (e.g., depression, dementia). Lee's research has yielded Best Paper nominations at premier Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) conferences including HRI, UbiComp, CSCW, and CHI. Lee has served on technical program committees for ACM/IEEE HRI, and the ACM Participatory Design Conference.