RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Rethinking Participation
February 2010—current
This research examines user work practices of online communities in the U.S. and China. My findings suggest that notions of participation are not universal in all online communities. As Internet research becomes more globalized, we should pay attention to varying cultures of the Internet. This research aims to develop a theory across which different organizational forms of Internet media production can be widely studied. This research builds on previous research up to the doctoral dissertation.

User Creativity, Governance, and the New Media
April 2009—January 2010
This research examined the methods and effects of corporate policies on end user communities. The ethnographic studies utilized online interviews and content analysis. The research paper (Kow and Nardi, 2009) is available in the online journal—First Monday. Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

Culture and Creativity: Modding communities in China and the U.S.
April 2008—April 2009
This research examined the relationship between culture and creativity. A comparative ethnography was performed in end user communities of China and the U.S. Methods included online and offline interviews. My interviews take place in Irvine and in Northern California, as well as in the Chinese cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chongqing, and the small towns of Xiuyan (Liaoning province) and Shihezi (Xinjiang province). The research was published in Kow and Nardi (2009). Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.

WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES
August 2010 Virtual Realities in East Asia. Sponsored by School of Modern Languages and Culture, University of Hong Kong.
April 2010 MMO and Virtual Worlds for Kids. Humanities Gateway Building, University of California, Irvine.
June 2009 Participate in State of Play Doctoral Student Symposium (funded by New York Law School)
February 2009 Presented at Chinese Academy of Sciences on “Culture and Creativity of Modding: Anthropology at the Intersection of the Real and Virtual” to an audience of 15 Chinese researchers (funded by National Science Foundation)
November 2008 Presented at CSCW on “Examining the ‘Four Infrastructures’ Supporting the Hundred Dollars Laptop”
August 2008 Participated in ECPR workshop in Ljubljana, Slovenia on Network Analysis (supported by anonymous family foundation)
June 2008 Presented at UCI Institute for Software Research (ISR) Graduate Student Research Symposium (GSRS) on “WoW Guilds: a Community of Practice”
May 2008 Participated in Productive Play Workshop at Beckman Center in UC Irvine

EDUCATION
Doctor of Philosophy–University of California, Irvine
September 2007–August 2011
Advisor: Professor Bonnie Nardi

Master of Engineering (research)–Nanyang Technological University
July 2001–June 2004
Human Factors Engineering
Advisor: Professor Martin Helander

Bachelor of Mechanical and Production Engineering–Nanyang Technological University
July 1997–June 2001

CORPORATE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Owner - In-Situ Research
September 2005 – Present
Methodology: ethnographic studies, statistical analysis, ecological interface design
Domain: building controls, consumer electronics, refineries
Clients: Honeywell, Dell, Nanyang Technological University.

Senior Research Engineer - Honeywell Pte Ltd
January 2005 – December 2005
Methodology: statistical analysis, surveys, interaction design, Six Sigma.
Domain: building controls, refineries

Research Intern - Honeywell Inc (Honeywell Labs)
November 2003 – November 2004
Methodology: interviews, surveys, focus groups, usability tests, contextual inquiry, Interaction design
Domain: building controls, refineries, medical products, older adults

UNIVERSITY TEACHING
Teaching Assistant
ICS 60 Computer Games and Society

Reader
Inf 161 Social Analysis of Computing (twice)
Inf 162 Organizational Information System
Inf 163 Projects in Social Impact of Computing
ICS 139W Critical Writing