Elizabeth Churchill joins MBZUAI to strengthen human-computer interaction research

• She joins MBZUAI as Department Chair of HCI and Professor of HCI and will lead the establishment of the university’s newest department, having added computer science and robotics departments last year.

Professor Elizabeth Churchill, user experience (UX) expert, will spearhead Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence’s (MBZUAI) Human-Computer Interaction Department.

Professor Churchill brings a wealth of experience and expertise in human-computer interaction (HCI), artificial intelligence (AI), psychology, and cognitive science.

She joins MBZUAI as Department Chair of HCI and Professor of HCI and will lead the establishment of the university’s newest department, having added computer science and robotics departments last year.

“I am honoured and excited to accept the opportunity,” Professor Churchill said.

“This initiative represents a pivotal moment in the evolution of AI education and research, where the fusion of human-centred design principles with cutting-edge technology will shape the future of AI innovation. I look forward to collaborating with students, faculty, and industry partners to cultivate a vibrant community of HCI scholars and practitioners dedicated to advancing AI for the benefit of society.”

Past experience

Churchill most recently served as Senior Director of UX at Google, where she led a team focused on creating developer tooling for Fuchsia, a next generation operating system.

Prior to that she formed and staffed research teams for Google’s design system, Material Design, and for Flutter, an open-source UI software development kit also created by Google.

Before joining Google, she held key positions at leading technology companies including eBay, Yahoo, and PARC (Palo Alto Research Center), where she spearheaded innovative research and design initiatives.

She has published more than 200 articles in peer-reviewed journals, conferences, and magazines, co-edited five books, and co-authored two books, demonstrating her commitment to advancing knowledge in the field of HCI. Her current focus is on social, computer, engineering, design, and data sciences to create innovative end-user applications. She has more than 50 patents granted or pending.    

“Professor Churchill’s exceptional track record of research and leadership in HCI and AI will further elevate our university’s academic programmes and strengthen our commitment to excellence in AI education and research,” MBZUAI’s President and University Professor, Eric Xing, said.

“This appointment underscores MBZUAI’s commitment to attracting world-class talent and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration in AI.”