ELISA RUBEGNI PhD

PERSONAL DATA

Italian citizen, living in Switzerland (VISA TYPE: B)
e-mail: elisaatrubegni.it
Skype : elisarubegni
Web site : www.rubegni.it – www.hci.usi.ch

EDUCATION

2003-2006                                PhD in Computer Science (Telematica e società dell’informazione), Department of Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering, University of Florence, Italy
Dissertation Title: “The STORYOBJECT approach, merging software engineering and user-centred design in designing interactive systems.”
Supervisor: Prof. Antonio Rizzo              Co-Advisor: Dr. Maria Chiara Pettenati

1996-2001                                Laurea (equivalent to B.Sc.+M.Sc.) in Communication Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, University of Siena, ItalyThesis Title: “The Architect Has Made the Map:  How the Information Deforms the Space.”
Final grade: 110/110summa cum laude (top 5% of the class)
Major in: Human-Computer Interaction.
Supervisor: Prof. Antonio Rizzo              Co-Advisor: Prof. Giuliano Benelli

1990-1995                                 Diploma di Maturità, Liceo San Bellarmino, Montepulciano, Italy
Final grade: 54/60
Major in Language Studies

ACADEMIC POSITIONS

2011-Present, Research fellow, Faculty of Informatics, Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Switzerland

  • Researcher in a multidisciplinary team working in three main research strands: 1) embedded interaction (to create and study non-traditional user interfaces by incorporating sensing, computation, and communication into everyday artifacts), 2) interaction design for children (to design new concepts and interfaces suitable to support children’s activities at school as well as methodologies and techniques for involving children in co-design and formative evaluation), 3) interactive technology in cultural sites (to develop and assess content and interfaces for improving the visitor’s experience in cultural as well as touristic locations).
  • Thesis supervisor of Master students

Dec. 2010 – Present, Lecturer, University Paris 8, France

  • Lecturer at the graduate level in Cognitive Ergonomics (Ergonomie cognitive et conseil psychologique) in the course “Concept Design Methodologies for the Generation of Technological Innovative Solutions” (Techniques de Créativité et D’innovation au Service de la Conception).

Dec. 2010 – July 2011, Visiting Professor, University Paris 8, France

  • Researcher at the Laboratory Paragraphe, team Equipe Conception, Création, Compétences et Usages (C3U), working in the field of technology for education. In collaboration with the Bibliothèque National Française, we designed innovative concepts to stimulate children in reading and writing.
  • Thesis supervisor of Master Student.

2007-2011, Post-Doc in Human-Computer Interaction and Interaction Design, Technology Enhanced Communication Laboratory (TEC-Lab), Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Switzerland

  • Researcher in projects exploring the design and assessment of new media technology in the domains of cultural heritage, public space and communities, and education. In particular, my research was focused on rethinking the way people access and share digital information in public spaces and on assessing whether these technological solutions stimulate and support social activities.  The solutions designed and assessed within these projects are based on Tangible User Interface, Augmented Reality, multi-touch surfaces and mobile devices.
  • Teacher at undergraduate and graduate level in six courses on Human-Computer Interaction, Interaction Design, Physical Computing and usability evaluation methods.
  • Thesis supervisor of Master students and co-advisor of a PhD Student.

Aug. 2006-Apr. 2007, POST DOC Fellow in Interaction Design, University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland, Fribourg, Switzerland

  • Researcher in a multidisciplinary team working on the MEMODULES project which aimed at identifying novel methodological approaches for the design of tangible user interfaces and multi-modal interactions. In particular I designed the Memobile solution.

Jan. 2007-Dec. 2009, Lecturer in Human-Computer Interaction and Usability, Faculty of Informatics, Polytechnic of Milan, Italy

  • Teacher in the graduate course “Human-Computer Interaction and Usability.”
  • Thesis supervisor of Master students.

2005 – 2010, Lecturer in Communication Sciences and Interaction Design, Faculty of Humanities, University of Siena, Italy

  • Researcher in the Interaction Design Area (IDA), working on projects ranging from online communication to eLearning to Ubiquitous computing. In Wi-roni, one of the latest projects, we designed interactive artifacts to reduce the digital divide by offering selected Web content to people who do not have the skills or the conceptual means to access the Internet. The interaction patterns are gesture-based.
  • Teacher at the undergraduate and graduate level in courses on Multimedia design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Supported Collaborative Working (CSCW).
  • Thesis supervisor of Bachelor and Master students and co-advisor of a PhD student.

May 2003 – Sept. 2003, Distinguished Visiting Scholar, Institute for Advanced Media, Arts and Sciences (IAMAS), Ogaki, Japan

  • Researcher in a multidisciplinary team developing innovative concepts and technology to support human communication in online remote relationships, enhancing the collaboration among people living and working at a distance.
  • Teacher at the International Institute of Information Design (IIID) Summer School in the course “Human-Computer Interaction: an Overview of the Methodologies.”

Supervisor of students’ jobs during the Summer School.

SKILLS

Software

  • Graphics: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Indesign, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe FreeHand, Adobe Fireworks, QuarkXPress Passport
  • Web and multimedia: Adobe Dreamweaver, Adobe Flash, Adobe Director, Microsoft FrontPage, Toolbook, XMLSpy, Visual Paradigm.
  • Video: FinalCut, AfterEffect
  • Data Analysis: SPSS, EXCEL
  • Office tools: Microsoft Office, Open Office

Computer Languages: HTML, CSS, DHTML, XML, XSL, UML

Languages:

  • Italian – native language
  • English – Fluent
  • French – Fluent
  • Spanish – Reading, Limited Conversation
  • German – Basics, Limited Reading