Paula Conn

Senior Researcher, PhD, CPE

Through the lenses of human-computer interaction and accessibility, I explore how emerging technologies can amplify human creativity, collaboration, and learning.

Currently at Google
For speaking engagements: info [at] paulaconn.com

Areas of Focus

Select Research

A selection of recent projects and publications. For more projects, refer to Google Scholar and Google Research:

HCII 2026

A Framework for Interactive Machine Learning and Enhanced Conversational Systems

Paula Conn, Jerry Young, Richard Abisla, Julie Cattiau, Sanjay Batra, Mikki Phan

How can we build conversational systems that remain consistently dependable despite the vast nuances of human speech? By introducing a scaffolded framework that embeds interactive machine learning into voice recording and model training, our research gives developers a practical roadmap for creating more robust technologies.


EID 2026

An Empirical Study of Tablet Ergonomics: The Interplay of Temperature, Orientation, and Use Behaviors

Carmen Van Ommen, Paula Conn, Mikki Phan, Arun Raghupathy, Daniel Huynh, Barbara Chaparro

Even powerful hardware falls short if high workloads make a device too hot to hold. Addressing this challenge, this research introduces a consolidated hotspot that equips Android manufacturers with new engineering architectures and thermal thresholds.


HCII 2025

Beyond Touchscreens: Dynamic and Multimodal Interaction Needs

Melissa Barnhart Wantland, Paula Conn, Mai Kobori

Expanding upon existing design approaches, this paper investigates the use of smartphones within dynamic settings. The research outlines lenses under which new designs can be tested and demonstrates why current design practices must evolve to better support the accessibility community.