Rebecca Grinter
Encyclopedia
Rebecca Elizabeth "Beki" Grinter is an Associate Professor in the School of Interactive Computing
in the College of Computing
at the Georgia Institute of Technology
(Georgia Tech). She is affiliated with the RIM@GT
and the GVU Center
. Grinter's research lies generally in the fields of human-computer interaction (HCI) and computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW). She has chaired and published papers in top-tier academic conferences in these fields. Her research and expert opinion on technology have also been reported in major news media sources.
, England
, UK and attended the City of Norwich School
and Hethersett High School
. She pursued undergraduate studies at the University of Leeds
, graduating in 1991 with a B.Sc.
(Hons) in Computer Science
. Following this, Grinter received an EPSRC
fellowship to study at the University of California, Irvine
, where she earned a M.S.
(1994) and a Ph.D.
(1996), both in Information and Computer Science. As a graduate student, Grinter was influenced by David Parnas
, whose work in software engineering spoke to Grinter's burgeoning interest in the relationship between humans and software. Grinter's dissertation, titled, "Understanding Dependencies: A Study of the Coordination Challenges in Software Development", was chaired by Jonathan Grudin
.
in Naperville, Illinois
as a Technical Staff Member from 1996 to 2000. She then left Bell Labs to accept a position as a Research Staff Member at Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) from 2000 to 2004. At PARC, Grinter supervised a study of iTunes
use in the workplace whose results were reported in The Washington Post
, the San Francisco Chronicle
, and other major news outlets. One of the study's contributions was to show that "playlist
anxiety" occurs in the workplace and not only in collegiate settings. In 2004, Grinter transitioned from industrial to academic research and joined the faculty of the College of Computing
at Georgia Tech
as an associate professor. At Georgia Tech, she founded and currently directs the Work2Play Lab in the GVU Center
. In 2006, Grinter served as the Research Papers Co-chair for CHI
, the most prestigious academic conference in the field of HCI. Her research and expert opinion on technology have been reported in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, MSNBC
, and CNN
.
, while her more recent work has focused on HCI, CSCW, and ubiquitous computing
applications beyond the workplace, including instant messaging
and SMS
usage among teenagers, museum visitor behavior, technologies for religion, and domestic computing opportunities. Grinter is a proponent of qualitative
and empirical research
methods, often conducting interviews and ethnographic studies
to understand intersections between humans and technologies. One of Grinter's best-known publications, "Instant Messaging in Teen Life", coauthored with Leysia Palen, was reported as one of the 15 most-downloaded papers on the ACM Digital Library for the year of 2006.
Georgia Institute of Technology School of Interactive Computing
The School of Interactive Computing is an academic unit located within the College of Computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology . It conducts both research and teaching activities related to interactive computing at the undergraduate and graduate levels...
in the College of Computing
Georgia Institute of Technology College of Computing
The College of Computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology has roots stretching back to an Information Science degree established in 1964. In 1988, Georgia Tech president John Patrick Crecine elevated the School of Information and Computer Science to become the College of Computing, making...
at the Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
(Georgia Tech). She is affiliated with the RIM@GT
Georgia Institute of Technology Center for Robotics and Intelligent Machines
The Center for Robotics and Intelligent Machines is an interdisciplinary research unit at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The center was launched May, 2006, and consists of researchers from the School of Interactive Computing in the College of Computing, College of Engineering, and Georgia...
and the GVU Center
GVU Center
The GVU Center at Georgia Tech is an interdisciplinary research center located near Technology Square in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, and affiliated with the Georgia Institute of Technology. It was founded by James D. Foley, the Center's first director, on October 15, 1992. According to U.S....
. Grinter's research lies generally in the fields of human-computer interaction (HCI) and computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW). She has chaired and published papers in top-tier academic conferences in these fields. Her research and expert opinion on technology have also been reported in major news media sources.
Early life and education
Grinter was born in NorwichNorwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, UK and attended the City of Norwich School
City of Norwich School
The Eaton School, more commonly known as CNS, is a secondary comprehensive school situated in Norwich, Norfolk on Eaton Road.-Admissions:It has over 1500 pupils and currently employs over 190 staff...
and Hethersett High School
Hethersett High School
Hethersett High School and Science College is a state school, located in the village of Hethersett in the English county of Norfolk. It has around 800 pupils aged 11-16....
. She pursued undergraduate studies at the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
, graduating in 1991 with a B.Sc.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
(Hons) in Computer Science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
. Following this, Grinter received an EPSRC
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council is a British Research Council that provides government funding for grants to undertake research and postgraduate degrees in engineering and the physical sciences , mainly to universities in the United Kingdom...
fellowship to study at the University of California, Irvine
University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
, where she earned a M.S.
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
(1994) and a Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
(1996), both in Information and Computer Science. As a graduate student, Grinter was influenced by David Parnas
David Parnas
David Lorge Parnas is a Canadian early pioneer of software engineering, who developed the concept of information hiding in modular programming, which is an important element of object-oriented programming today. He is also noted for his advocacy of precise documentation.- Biography :Parnas earned...
, whose work in software engineering spoke to Grinter's burgeoning interest in the relationship between humans and software. Grinter's dissertation, titled, "Understanding Dependencies: A Study of the Coordination Challenges in Software Development", was chaired by Jonathan Grudin
Jonathan Grudin
Jonathan Grudin is a Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research in the fields of human-computer interaction and computer-supported cooperative work . Grudin is a pioneer of the field of CSCW and one of its most prolific contributors. His collaboration distance to other HCI researchers has been...
.
Research career
Upon receiving her Ph.D. from the University of California, Irvine, Grinter worked at Bell LabsBell Labs
Bell Laboratories is the research and development subsidiary of the French-owned Alcatel-Lucent and previously of the American Telephone & Telegraph Company , half-owned through its Western Electric manufacturing subsidiary.Bell Laboratories operates its...
in Naperville, Illinois
Naperville, Illinois
Naperville is a city in DuPage and Will Counties in Illinois in the United States, voted the second best place to live in the United States by Money Magazine in 2006. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 141,853. It is the fifth largest city in the state, behind Chicago,...
as a Technical Staff Member from 1996 to 2000. She then left Bell Labs to accept a position as a Research Staff Member at Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) from 2000 to 2004. At PARC, Grinter supervised a study of iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
use in the workplace whose results were reported in The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
, and other major news outlets. One of the study's contributions was to show that "playlist
Playlist
In its most general form, a playlist is simply a list of songs. They can be played in sequential or shuffled order. The term has several specialized meanings in the realms of radio broadcasting and personal computers.-In radio:...
anxiety" occurs in the workplace and not only in collegiate settings. In 2004, Grinter transitioned from industrial to academic research and joined the faculty of the College of Computing
Georgia Institute of Technology College of Computing
The College of Computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology has roots stretching back to an Information Science degree established in 1964. In 1988, Georgia Tech president John Patrick Crecine elevated the School of Information and Computer Science to become the College of Computing, making...
at Georgia Tech
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
as an associate professor. At Georgia Tech, she founded and currently directs the Work2Play Lab in the GVU Center
GVU Center
The GVU Center at Georgia Tech is an interdisciplinary research center located near Technology Square in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, and affiliated with the Georgia Institute of Technology. It was founded by James D. Foley, the Center's first director, on October 15, 1992. According to U.S....
. In 2006, Grinter served as the Research Papers Co-chair for CHI
CHI (conference)
The ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems series of academic conferences is generally considered the most prestigious in the field of human–computer interaction. It is hosted by ACM SIGCHI, the Special Interest Group on computer–human interaction. CHI has been held annually since...
, the most prestigious academic conference in the field of HCI. Her research and expert opinion on technology have been reported in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
, and CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
.
Research interests
Grinter's research lies generally in the fields of human-computer interaction (HCI) and computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW). Her earlier work dealt with the challenges of distributed software engineeringSoftware engineering
Software Engineering is the application of a systematic, disciplined, quantifiable approach to the development, operation, and maintenance of software, and the study of these approaches; that is, the application of engineering to software...
, while her more recent work has focused on HCI, CSCW, and ubiquitous computing
Ubiquitous computing
Ubiquitous computing is a post-desktop model of human-computer interaction in which information processing has been thoroughly integrated into everyday objects and activities. In the course of ordinary activities, someone "using" ubiquitous computing engages many computational devices and systems...
applications beyond the workplace, including instant messaging
Instant messaging
Instant Messaging is a form of real-time direct text-based chatting communication in push mode between two or more people using personal computers or other devices, along with shared clients. The user's text is conveyed over a network, such as the Internet...
and SMS
Short message service
Short Message Service is a text messaging service component of phone, web, or mobile communication systems, using standardized communications protocols that allow the exchange of short text messages between fixed line or mobile phone devices...
usage among teenagers, museum visitor behavior, technologies for religion, and domestic computing opportunities. Grinter is a proponent of qualitative
Qualitative research
Qualitative research is a method of inquiry employed in many different academic disciplines, traditionally in the social sciences, but also in market research and further contexts. Qualitative researchers aim to gather an in-depth understanding of human behavior and the reasons that govern such...
and empirical research
Empirical research
Empirical research is a way of gaining knowledge by means of direct and indirect observation or experience. Empirical evidence can be analyzed quantitatively or qualitatively...
methods, often conducting interviews and ethnographic studies
Ethnography
Ethnography is a qualitative method aimed to learn and understand cultural phenomena which reflect the knowledge and system of meanings guiding the life of a cultural group...
to understand intersections between humans and technologies. One of Grinter's best-known publications, "Instant Messaging in Teen Life", coauthored with Leysia Palen, was reported as one of the 15 most-downloaded papers on the ACM Digital Library for the year of 2006.