Hello, I'm DJ!

I am an Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Michigan, with affiliated appointments in the School of Information and Michigan Medicine. I direct the Soundability Lab, where we explore how hearing can become an editable, customizable interface—not just a fixed sense. We design human-centered AI systems that empower people to shape how they perceive and interact with sound. Learn more on our lab website.

I completed my PhD at the University of Washington and my MS at the MIT Media Lab. I’ve also worked at Microsoft Research, Google, and Apple. In 2023, I received the SIGCHI Outstanding Dissertation Award.

I teach Accessible Computing, Audio AI, and User Interface Design at the undergraduate level, and Advanced Accessibility and Human-Computer Interaction at the graduate level. I also organize studio-style DIY workshops for students from diverse educational backgrounds; to date, I’ve led seven global workshops in five countries. Outside academia, I’m a certified scuba instructor.

I advise businesses on effective prompting strategies to integrate generative AI into their workflows.

See my curriculum vitae, lab website, Google Scholar page, or contact me at profdj [at] umich [dot] edu.