STEMMates: In-Home Robot Learning Companions
AI-generated illustration representing the project.STEMMates investigates how a social robot can support middle school students’ science reading and learning at home.
Built on the Misty robot platform, the STEMMate learning companion provides comments during reading activities designed to support comprehension, social connection, and interest in science.
The project brings together learning sciences and human–robot interaction to explore how interactions with a robot can complement educational materials and support learning beyond the classroom.
I contributed to this project by developing a social commentary framework which included knowledge support, social support and interest support comments for the social robot that were specifically tailored to the STEM books selected for this project. This framework was later used again for a subsequent project that used the Misty social robot as a homework companion robot for children.
My research goal is to design, build, and evaluate technology-facilitated learning environments. My work brings together learning sciences, human–computer interaction, computing education, and social robotics.
I completed my Ph.D. in Learning Sciences at the University of Illinois Chicago in May 2026, advised by Dr. Joseph E. Michaelis. I also hold a master’s degree in Computer and Information Science from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Lahore University of Management Sciences.
My dissertation, “Broadening Participation of Girls in Computing: An Integrated Approach to Supporting Interest in CS,” examined how technological and social scaffolds support girls’ interest in computing. Through the MyTurn project, I designed a web-based pre-coding tool and studied its use alongside peer collaboration and mentorship during social robotics activities.
My broader research includes in-home robot learning companions and teacher-facing tools for designing robot-assisted learning experiences. I use iterative design and mixed methods to understand learners’ experiences and inform technology design.
My future research vision builds on my previous work to investigate the design of AI-enabled technologies that can adapt to learners’ evolving needs and complement social scaffolds embedded within authentic learning contexts to support learning and interest.
AI-generated illustration representing my research.