Tawanna Dillahunt facts for kids

Tawanna Dillahunt is an American computer scientist and information scientist. She works at the University of Michigan School of Information. Dr. Dillahunt leads a research team called the Social Innovations Group. They create and improve technologies to solve real-world problems. Her important research has been mentioned over 6,000 times by other scientists.

About Tawanna Dillahunt

Her Education Journey

Tawanna Dillahunt was born in North Carolina, United States. She earned her first degree, a Bachelor of Science (B.S.), in Computer Engineering in 2000. This was from North Carolina State University. Later, she received a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in 2005. This degree was from the Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and Technology.

She continued her studies at Carnegie Mellon University. There, she earned another M.S. degree in 2011. She then completed her Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) in 2012. In 2013, she joined the faculty at the University of Michigan. She teaches and researches at the School of Information there.

What She Researches

Dr. Dillahunt's work focuses on how people use computers. This field is called human-computer interaction. She also studies how technology can be everywhere around us. Her research helps people work together using computers. She explores how technology can support communities.

She is well-known for designing new technologies. These technologies help people find jobs. They also support environmental sustainability, which means protecting our planet. Dr. Dillahunt also works on improving how people learn about technology. This is called technical literacy.

The National Science Foundation has given her many grants. These grants help fund her important research. For example, she received a grant to study transportation. She looked at how people in certain Michigan communities travel. Her goal is to make it easier for everyone to get where they need to go.

Dr. Dillahunt has developed many tools. These tools help connect people facing challenges with job opportunities. She is also part of the Science, Technology, and Public Policy program. This program is at the University of Michigan's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. She is currently an associate professor at the University of Michigan. She works in the School of Information's Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department.

Awards and Special Honors

Dr. Dillahunt has received several important awards. She earned the first-ever Skip Ellis Early Career Award. This award came from the Computing Research Association. She also received the Fran Allen IBM PhD Fellowship. Other honors include the Richard Tapia Scholarship and another IBM PhD Fellowship.

She is recognized as a Kavli Fellow by the National Academy of Sciences. In 2021, she was named an ACM Distinguished Member. This honor recognizes her significant contributions to computing.