I am currently working as an Assistant Professor at the College of Computer and Digital Media (CDM) at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois.

Home of the Blue Demons!

My DePaul website is located at facsrv.cdm.depaul.edu/~cputnam

Research

Current areas of investigation (see more in the research area):

• How human-computer interaction (HCI) professionals do their jobs; e.g., methods that professionals use to (a) investigate and (b) communicate about end users. HCI professionals have placed an increasing importance on developing methods to investigate users and methods to communicate about users; however, what methods work best and under what conditions methods fail or succeed have not been well documented. Additionally, HCI is a dynamic field in which methods are evolving; for example, a concern about accessibility has created a new subset of specialties in the field in which new methods have been explored over the last five years. This work is an expansion of my dissertation research.

You can be part of the study if you are a working professional in an HCI related field. Read more here: on the project website.


• Efficacy of movement-related videogames (i.e., videogames for the X-Box Kinect, Nintendo Wii and Sony Move) for rehabilitation treatment with people who have suffered a brain injury. In the current study, we are working directly with therapists and staff at the Anixter Center's New Focus program located in Chicago in a compare/contrast of the three game systems. We expect our findings will lead to design guidelines and requirements for future videogames that support movement therapies.

Past research includes:

• Technology use and diffusion in Central Asia


• Attitudes and behaviors regarding water usage in the Andhra Pradesh region of India. This research was part of a consulting job for the Safe Water Project for PATH.


• Children with autism and their families/support structures

My most recent work in industry as a user researcher was with the Xbox/games group at Microsoft in 2010.

Teaching

I primarily teach in the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) graduate program in the College of Computing and Digital Media at DePaul's downtown loop campus. Course titles have included "Inquiry methods and analysis", "Interaction Design" and "Design for disabilities". See the teaching area for more information.

Design

Before returning to school and attaining my PhD in Human-Centered Design & Engineering, I spent over 10 years as an industrial designer creating digital art, interaction design, video, and animations for a variety of delivery mediums and clients. See the design area for some work samples.