Carrigan Lab Research Team
Dr. Coleen Carrigan
(she/her/hers)
Principal Investigator
Dr. Coleen Carrigan is an Associate Professor of Science, Technology, and Society in the Department of Engineering and Society at the University of Virginia. Using ethnography, her research is focused on broadening participation, combatting inequities, and enhancing public engagement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Carrigan is a recipient of a National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award for her research into the intersections of gender, race, and social values in computing. In 2025, Carrigan received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). Her book, Cracking the Bro Code, is available from MIT Press.
Henry Allen
(he/him/his)
Lab Manager
Henry Allen is a fourth-year undergraduate at the University of Virginia. He is majoring in Foreign Affairs and minoring in Korean and Data Science. Within the Valuing the Social in Computing Lab, he reviews emerging literature on social and political challenges within the technology industry, specifically focusing on its connection to government. Outside of the lab, he studies international relations, with a concentration on East Asia. From South Korean developmental corporate structures to the effects of Japanese colonialism on current political affairs, he engages with political science and legal history as his primary studies. Through his work in the lab, his aspirations are to review the intersection of corporations, data privacy, and surveillance, reveal the continued harm of ‘techno-orientalism,’ and explore how artificial chatbots interact with copyright and intellectual property law.
Kiwakibt melaku
(she/her/hers)
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Kiwakibt Melaku is a third-year student in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Virginia, double-majoring in Computer Science and Foreign Affairs, and aiming to minor in Science and Technology Policy. Her research interests lie at the intersection of emerging technology and global policy, particularly in areas such as cybersecurity, ethical tech governance, and data privacy. Within the Valuing the Social in Computing Lab, she aims to explore how social values such as race, gender, and power shape tech spaces and how biases are able to manifest in computing environments. Kiwakibt aims to gain skills in data management and case study analysis. She hopes to contribute to the creation of emerging technology and policies that are able to promote equity and accountability across engineering fields.
Karan Kotadia
(he/him/his)
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Karan Kotadia is a first-year student in The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at the University of Virginia intending to major in Computer Engineering. His research interests include developing insights into the underrepresentation in engineering and technology, as well as examining the implications of major technology companies on users, customers, and employee experiences. His work will aim to provide practical and theoretical frameworks that support inclusive technological growth as well as help bridge the gap between principled engineering ethics and both recognized and unrecognized biases. Over the course of his work in the lab, Karan wants to enhance his expertise in social sciences, qualitative research-based procedures, and case studies.
RECENT accomplishments
2025-2028
Copenhaver Fellow
At the UVA School of Engineering Spring All Hands meeting on April 30, Dean Jennifer West celebrates with Coleen Carrigan the Copenhaver Fellowship, awarded to associate professors for research excellence.
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Winner
Sophie Klitgaard, former REU Stipend Awardee in the Carrigan Lab, wins National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.
“While concerns over privacy are central to many high profile debates surrounding computer science and technology fields, relatively little research has investigated what privacy is or how it operates outside of the limited context of digital communications. My graduate research will address this critical gap in knowledge by examining how conceptualizations of privacy vary as a function of social and environmental contexts. In the coming years, I hope to utilize the findings of this research to push for informed public policy and user privacy protections.” -Sophie Klitgaard
REU Site Participant Award, 2022
Madison Green, National Science Foundation Division of Engineering Education and Centers conference in Virginia
Photo Credit: Dr. Christine Grant
Lab Alumni
Former Doctoral Research Assistants: Burren Peil, Katie Kuhl, Saejin Kwak Tanguay
Former Undergraduate Research Assistants: Shivam Raigaga, AJ Nicholson, Elyse Undan, Nifasha Diomede, Selah Mitchell, Miguel Del Real, Erin McDaniels, Madison Witters Green, Sophie Elizabeth Klitgaard, Clara Atwell, Siena Nicole Parsons, Jet J. Tan, Ell Hundertmark, Abibat Rahman-Davies, Gabriel Medina-Kim, Abigail Craig, Alana Salas-Yoshii, Noah Krigel, Luci Simpson, Mira Ambika Banerjee Brown, Rachel Kangas, Michelle Bardini, Frances Giffrey, Tas Thienpothong, Kelsey Molidor
Former STEM and VISTA Associates: Monica Singer, Emily Liptow, Chris Basurto