Kai Lukoff

Dr. Kai Lukoff is an Assistant Professor at Santa Clara University in the Department of Computer Science & Engineering, where he directs the Human-Computer Interaction Lab. He uses human centered methods to research, design, and develop technologies with social impact.

His work explores how digital interfaces can lead to meaningful or meaningless experiences and support or undermine user sense of agency. He has redesigned features of YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter and tested their effects on digital wellbeing in field experiments.

In recent work with Native American partners and students at Santa Clara University, he is creating an augmented reality tour that shows visitors pasts, presents, and futures of the Ohlone Tribe on campus.

His research has been published at CHI, CSCW, IMWUT, DIS, and in Mindfulness Journal and his dissertation received a 2023 Outstanding Dissertation Award from ACM SIGCHI. He previously completed his PhD at the University of Washington in the Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering, where he was co-advised by Drs. Sean Munson and Alexis Hiniker. He also previously lived in China for 6 years where he worked as a product manager at mobile internet startups.