Tamanna Motahar

Dr. Motahar is a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor, holding the Patrick Clark Endowed Professorship at the School of Computing and Informatics at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Before that, she was a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Center for Research and Education on Accessible Technology and Experiences (CREATE) at Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington. She worked with Prof. Maya Cakmak at the intersection of Accessibility and Assistive Robotics. She earned her PhD from the Personal Data and Empowerment Lab (PeDEL) of Kahlert School of Computing at the University of Utah, where she worked with Prof. Jason Wiese.

Dr. Motahar's research interests lie broadly at the intersection of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) and Accessibility. Her research has three primary threads of contribution:
(1) Improving autonomy in technology adoption and interaction;
(2) Supporting disability induced self-care activity adherence; and
(3) Fostering design empathy in HCI education for People with Disabilities.

Her works are published in top-tier HCI venues, including ACM CHI, IMWUT, ASSETS, DIS, and has been recognized with two Best Paper Honorable Mention Awards (top 5%) at CHI'25 and DIS'24. Through a user-centric approach, her research aims to understand how assistive technology can better help individuals with severe motor disabilities; particularly those who use powered wheelchairs for mobility. To support users with such complex disabilities, her research incorporates a User-Centered Design (UCD) approach, involving individuals with disabilities in the technology design process, comprehending their distinct needs, challenges, and preferences.

During her PhD, she collaborated with Craig Neilson Rehabilitation Hospital, and TRAILS: Technology Recreation Access Independence Lifestyle Sports.  In her postdoc at UW, she collaborate with Provail and other CREATE community partners.  Her research received generous support from the NSF. Google Research, ACM SIGCHI, and AccessComputing.

Ph.D. in Computing, 2024 
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah

M.Eng. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, 2015
University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada

M.Sc. in Electronics AND Telecommunication Engineering, 2010 
North South University, Dhaka, Bangladesh

B.SC. in Computer Engineering, Summa Cum Laude, 2006
American International University Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh

• Human Computer Interaction
• Accessibility
• Ubiquitous Computing
• ICTD

• [IMWUT’25] Tamanna Motahar, Brandon Rivera‑Melo, Ross Imburgia, *Yeon Jae Kim, James Gardner, Jeffrey Rosenbluth,
  Jason Wiese. Design and Evaluation of a Power Wheelchair‑Based Self‑tracking System to Prevent Pressure Ulcers. In Pro
  ceedings of the ACM on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies (IMWUT) 9, 1, Article 220 (March 2025)
• [IMWUT’24] TamannaMotahar,JasonWiese. 2024. InvestigatingTechnologyAdoptionSoonAfterSustainingaSpinalCord
  Injury. In Proceedings oftheACMonInteractive,Mobile, WearableandUbiquitousTechnologies(IMWUT)8,1,Article14(March
  2024)
• [CSCW’23] Johannah Cohoon, Kazi Sinthia Kabir, Tamanna Motahar, Jason Wiese. 2023. Cultivating Altruism Around Com
  puting Resources: Anticipation Work in a Scholarly Community. In Proceedings of the ACM on Human‑ComputerInteraction,
  Volume7, Issue CSCW2,Article No.: 336, pp 1–22
• [IMWUT’22] Tamanna Motahar, Jason Wiese. 2022. A Review of Personal Informatics Research for People with Motor Dis
  abilities. In Proceedings of the ACMonInteractive, Mobile, WearableandUbiquitousTechnologies(IMWUT)6,2,Article66(July
  2022)
• [Springer Nature’22] Nova Ahmed, Lamia Iftekhar, Mahbuba Tasmin, Tamanna Urmi, Silvia Ahmed, Tamanna Motahar.
  ”Challenges for women in computing in Bangladesh considering the learning and workplace environment over a period
  of eight years.” Springer Nature Social Sciences 2, no. 10 (2022): 1‑24.

• Patrick Clark Endowed Professorship, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, 2025
• Best Paper Honorable Mention Award, ACM CHI 2025
• Advanced Rehabilitation Research and Training (ARRT) Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of
  Washington, 2024-2025
• Recognition for Outstanding Review, CHI 2025
• Best Paper Honorable Mention Award, DIS 2024