Below is a detailed overview of my experiences.
My research focus is in the areas of human-computer interaction, accessibility, and design. I am particularly interested in digital media, navigation within spaces, generative AI, and virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR).
I'm also passionate about teaching and have an interest in entrepreneurship.
Programming Languages
Programming Languages
Technologies
Technologies
Other
Other
Aug. 2019 - Present
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Computer Science
Thesis proposal passed Jan. 2023.
Aug. 2019 - Feb. 2023
Columbia University
Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.), Computer Science
Candidacy Exam: "Learning about spaces without vision: Theory, tools, and the future." [passed Dec. 2021]
Aug. 2019 - Feb. 2021
Columbia University
Master of Science (M.S.), Computer Science
Aug. 2014 - Dec. 2018
Macaulay Honors College at The City College of New York
Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.), Computer Engineering | The Grove School of Engineering
Graduated summa cum laude.
Senior Project: "ASSIST (Assistive Sensor Solutions for Independent and Safe Travel)"
Jan. 2018
Université de Tours
French A1 Certification | Institut de Touraine
Spent three weeks in the beautiful city of Tours, located on the banks of the Loire River in central France. Took an intensive five-days-a-week, three-week French language course while exploring and learning about the culture and history of the city and country.
Aug. 2019 - Present
Computer-Enabled Abilities Laboratory (CEAL) at Columbia University
Graduate Research Assistant
Advisor: Dr. Brian A. Smith
Links (3)
May 2023 - Aug. 2023
Research Intern
Worked with the Ability team and HCAIX (Human-Centered AI & Experiences) Group at Microsoft Research in Redmond.
Oct. 2017 - Apr. 2019
Lighthouse Guild, Arlene R. Gordon Research Institute
Volunteer Research Assistant
Advisor: Dr. William H. Seiple
Apr. 2016 - Apr. 2019
City College Visual Computing Laboratory
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Advisor: Dr. Zhigang Zhu
Links (1)
May 2016 - Jul. 2016
Department of Homeland Security, Summer Research Team Program for MSIs
Team Member
Based at the Command, Control, and Interoperability Center for Advanced Data Analysis, a DHS Center of Excellence at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.
Advisor: Dr. Jie Gong
Links (1)
Sep. 2015 - Jan. 2016
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Volunteer Research Assistant
Worked in the Division of Liver Diseases of the Department of Medicine.
Advisor: Dr. Yujin Hoshida
Sep. 2023 - Present
User Interface Design (COMS W4170), Columbia University
Teaching Assistant
Jan. 2023 - May 2023
Human-Computer Interaction Seminar (COMS E6178), Columbia University
Teaching Assistant
Sep. 2022 - Dec. 2022
User Interface Design (COMS W4170), Columbia University
Head Teaching Assistant
Jan. 2022 - May 2022
Human-Computer Interaction Seminar (COMS E6178), Columbia University
Teaching Assistant
Sep. 2021 - Dec. 2021
User Interface Design (COMS W4170), Columbia University
Teaching Assistant
Jan. 2021 - Apr. 2021
Human-Computer Interaction Seminar (COMS E6998), Columbia University
Teaching Assistant
Sep. 2020 - Dec. 2020
User Interface Design (COMS W4170), Columbia University
Head Teaching Assistant
Aug. 2015 - Dec. 2015
General Chemistry I (CHEM 10301), The City College of New York
Workshop Leader
Jun. 2015 - Aug. 2015
Volunteer SAT Math / College Application Coach
Aug. 2019
5th Summer School on Computational Interaction Hackathon
"Voice-Assisted Text Entry Corrections" (2nd Place)
Oct. 2015 - Dec. 2016
C~Flow
Co-Founder / Technology Coordinator
Oct. 2016
Zahn Innovation Center – Royal Bank of Canada FinTech Hackathon
"Abacus" (2nd Place)
2023 - Present
Various Conferences
Peer Reviewer for Various Academic Conferences
Feb. 2023
Department of Computer Science, Columbia University
M.S. Admissions Committee Member [Spring 2023]
Jan. 2022 - May 2022
Vagelos Computational Science Center, Barnard College
Mentor, Barnard "Better, Enhance, and Advance Research Series" (BEARS) Program
Nov. 2021
Department of Computer Science, Columbia University
Reviewer, Pre-Submission Application Review (PAR) Program [Fall 2021]
Nov. 2020
Department of Computer Science, Columbia University
Reviewer, Pre-Submission Application Review (PAR) Program [Fall 2020]
Feb. 2020
Department of Computer Science, Columbia University
M.S. Admissions Committee Member [Spring 2020]
Aug. 2019
5th Summer School on Computational Interaction
Volunteer
Oct. 2016
Harlem Tech Week
Volunteer Site Maintainer
2017 - Present
Research Publications
Includes 8 first-author publications.
A list of my research publications can be found on my Google Scholar page.
Feb. 2023
"Systems, methods, and media for providing environment information to visually impaired persons"
Lead Inventor, U.S. Patent Pending (US 2023/0034352 A1)
Links (2)
Apr. 2023
ImageAssist: Tools for Enhancing Touchscreen-Based Image Exploration Systems for Blind and Low Vision Users
Vishnu Nair, Hanxiu 'Hazel' Zhu, and Brian A. Smith
Paper published and presented at the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '23), Hamburg, Germany, Apr. 23-28, 2023.
Links (1)
Oct. 2022
Uncovering Visually Impaired Gamers' Preferences for Spatial Awareness Tools Within Video Games
Vishnu Nair, Shao-en Ma, Ricardo E. Gonzalez Penuela, Yicheng He, Karen Lin, Mason Hayes, Hannah Huddleston, Matthew Donnelly, and Brian A. Smith
Paper published and presented at the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2022), Athens, Greece, Oct. 23-26, 2022.
Links (1)
Oct. 2021
NavStick: Making Video Games Blind-Accessible via the Ability to Look Around
Vishnu Nair, Jay L. Karp, Samuel Silverman, Mohar Kalra, Hollis Lehv, Faizan Jamil, and Brian A. Smith
Paper published and presented at the 2021 ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (UIST), Virtual, Oct. 10-14, 2021.
Links (2)
Oct. 2021
Towards a Generalized Acoustic Minimap for Visually Impaired Gamers
Vishnu Nair, Shao-en Ma, Hannah Huddleston, Karen Lin, Mason Hayes, Matthew Donnelly, Ricardo E. Gonzalez Penuela, Yicheng He, and Brian A. Smith
Demo presented at the 2021 ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (UIST), Virtual, Oct. 10-14, 2021.
Links (2)
Oct. 2020
Toward Self-Directed Navigation for People with Visual Impairments
Vishnu Nair and Brian A. Smith
Demo presented at the 2020 ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (UIST), Virtual, Oct. 20-23, 2020.
Links (2)
Apr. 2018
ASSIST: Assistive Sensor Solutions for Independent and Safe Travel
Vishnu Nair and Manjekar Budhai
Presented at the 2018 CREATE (Cultivating Resources for Employment with Assistive Technology) Expo, Albany, NY, Apr. 25, 2018.
Links (1)
May 2017
Smart and Accessible Transportation Hub
Zhigang Zhu, Greg Olmschenk, Vishnu Nair, Christina Tsangouri, William H. Seiple, Cecilia Feeley, Hao Tang, and Jie Gong
Presented at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the Command, Control, and Interoperability Center for Advanced Data Analysis (CCICADA), Washington, D.C., May 18-19, 2017.
Jun. 2016
Towards a Smart Transportation Hub: Services to Persons with Special Needs Requiring Minimal New Infrastructure
Zhigang Zhu, Jie Gong, Hao Tang, Cecilia Feeley, Greg Olmschenk, Vishnu Nair, and Mike Lysicatos
Presented at the 2016 Global City Teams Challenge Expo, Austin, TX, Jun. 13-14, 2016.
© 2023 Vishnu Nair
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