Yarn Took Over My Life Project with Shanel S Wu ’16 | Mudd Talks

In this Mudd Talks session, “Yarn Took Over My Life: An Interdisciplinary Path from Mudd Physics to Textile Crafts and Human-Computer Interaction Research,” Shanel (S) Wu ’16 shares how their crafty hobbies blend with STEM topics in a field of academic research. Listen to S discuss switching fields for grad school and integrating creative interests and social impact with tech. S also explains how techniques like weaving and knitting can create e-textiles–textiles with integrated electronics–that challenge meanings of “high”/“low” tech, how they fit with other human-computer interaction (HCI) specializations like VR, AI and “smart” environments, and how they can explore technological issues in sustainability and accessibility. Dr. Shanel (S) Wu ’16 (they/them, physics and computers) obtained their PhD in creative technology design in 2023 from the ATLAS Institute, University of Colorado Boulder. S currently lives in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada where they recently completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Carleton University. During grad school (and COVID lockdown) in Colorado, S co-parented a flock of chickens and ducks with their roommate. They dream of a future where they live with a backyard flock again and own a TC2 Jacquard loom.