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Bonnie Nardi
Professor at UC Irvine
Bonnie A. Nardi is a prominent researcher and academic in the fields of human-computer interaction and computer-supported cooperative work. Her career has spanned both industry and academia, with significant contributions to the understanding of technology's role in society.13
Career Highlights
Industry Experience:: Nardi worked at IntelliCorp from 1985 to 1989 in the Applications division.3 This was part of her extensive industry experience, which also included positions at:
- AT&T Labs
- Agilent Technologies
- Hewlett-Packard
- Apple Labs1
Academic Career:: After her time in industry, Nardi transitioned to academia. She became a professor at the University of California, Irvine, where she:
- Led the TechDec research lab in the Department of Informatics
- Focused on Human-Computer Interaction and computer-supported cooperative work
- Was elected to the ACM CHI academy in 2013
- Retired in 20181
Research Interests
Nardi's research interests are diverse and influential:
- Activity theory and its application to HCI
- Computer-mediated communication
- Interaction design
- Collaborative work
- Video game studies, particularly World of Warcraft
- Information ecologies12
Her theoretical orientation is rooted in activity theory, also known as Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), which she has applied extensively to technology design and evaluation.2
Notable Works
Nardi has authored and co-authored several influential books and papers:
- "Acting with Technology: Activity Theory and Interaction Design" (2009)
- "Activity Theory in HCI: Fundamentals and Reflections" (2012)
- "Information Ecologies: Using Technology with Heart" (1999)
- "My Life as a Night Elf Priest" - an ethnography of World of Warcraft1
Her work on information ecologies has been particularly impactful in library science and digital librarianship.1
Controversy
Nardi's research on World of Warcraft became the subject of political controversy when it was listed in Senator Tom Coburn's "Wastebook 2010" as an example of supposedly wasteful federal spending.1
Throughout her career, Bonnie Nardi has made significant contributions to our understanding of human-computer interaction and the social aspects of technology use, bridging the gap between industry applications and academic research.
