Dr. Gary Hsieh has been awarded the Faculty Early Career Development Award (CAREER) from the National Science Foundation in the area of human-centered computing.  The CAREER Award is the “National Science Foundation's most prestigious award in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education, and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations” (http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503214).  This award provides about $500,000 in research funding over five years to support Dr. Hsieh’s research on “Advancing Social Computing with Tailored Motivators.”

Dr. Hsieh is an Assistant Professor of Communication and Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media at Michigan State University. He is also an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and is affiliated with the Health and Risk Communication Center at Michigan State University. He received his Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University.

His project will enable the development of personally tailored motivators for the use of social technologies, e.g., various incentives or strategies, to encourage users to contribute knowledge, provide emotional support or curate information on an online system. Different individuals have different needs, motivations, and desires, yet current social technologies employ a “one-size fits all” approach in motivating participation. This research will result in models for identifying users' motivation profiles, and a general design framework for researchers and designers to tailor motivators.  Through collaborative projects, this research will also aid health behavior change efforts and contribute to improving general classroom learning.

The Career Award will also allow Dr. Hsieh to hire graduate assistants to join his research team. If you’re interested in working with him, or have questions about his research, please contact Dr. Hsieh at garyh@msu.edu.