About

I am a first-year PhD student at UMich CSE advised by Anhong Guo and Venkatesh Potluri.

Prior to joining Michigan for my PhD, I was supported by CRA DREU to join Human-AI Lab (HAIL) here as a summer research intern. I have also previously done research at the University of Washington Allen School as part of the Make4All lab through the DUB REU and at the Carnegie Mellon Human Computer Interaction Institute as part of the Social AI Group and the CATS Lab through the HCII REU.

In May 2025, I earned my Bachelor's degree from Grinnell College with majors in Computer Science (w/ honors) and Sociology (w/ honors) and a concentration in Statistics.

Research

My current research focuses on AI approaches for personal accessibility, that is:

How might personal devices such as smart phones and wearables be used in conjunction with AI systems to facilitate individualized accessibility experiences that empower agency and autonomy?

I am particularly drawn to user-centric, participatory methods such as iterative co-design. I value techniques that empower simultaneous rigorous system building and end-user understanding.

Specifically, my current active project involves empowering the creation of bespoke assistive technology using Human-AI collaboration techniques. This project intends to utilize co-design as method, and uses the Meta RayBans as the device of exploration, building on recent work out of the Simon-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute, WhatsAI. This project is in it's early stages, so check back soon for more information!

News

August 2025
I've officially begun my PhD at UMich CSE! Go blue!
August 2025
I attended RMF Connections, where I learned lots about the University and met many incredible new researchers across the University in my Rackham Merit Fellows cohort!
August 2025
I moved to Ann Arbor!
May 2025
I graduated from Grinnell College with a BA in Computer Science and a BA in Sociology!
March 2025
I am honored to have recieved the Rackham Merit Fellowship!
This will support my 1st and 4th years of study at Michigan.
March 2025
I've committed to UMich CSE to pursue my PhD!!!
October 2024
Traveling to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador for ACM ASSETS!
October 2024
My article about the Human-AI Lab (HAIL) is published in XRDS
June 2024
Traveling to Buffalo, NY for ISLS!
I will be leading a workshop and being a student volunteer
May 2024
Excited to join the Human-AI Lab (HAIL) as a summer research intern through CRA DREU!
May 2024
I was inducted into the Grinnell College Phi Beta Kappa chapter!
March 2024
I am honored to have been named a 2024 Barry Goldwater Scholar !
May 2023
Excited to join the Social AI Group and CATS Lab as part of the HCII REU!
October 2022
Traveling to Seattle, WA for SCF!
I am presenting my work on embroidered tactile graphics from the DUB REU
July 2022
I won the CREATE Accessible Textiles Hackfest
June 2022
Excited to join the Make4All lab as part of the DUB REU!

Publications

Sort by:
Beyond Beautiful: Embroidering Legible and Expressive Tactile Graphics
Margaret Ellen Seehorn*, Claris Winston*, Bo Liu, Gene S-H Kim, Emily White, Nupur Gorkar, Kate S. Glazko, Aashaka Desai, Jerry Cao, Megan Hofmann, Jennifer Mankoff
ASSETS 2025
PDF coming soon!
The Hidden Majority: Examining the Inaccessibility Crisis as a Barrier to Equitable Education
C. Naomie, Margaret Ellen Seehorn, Mia Ellis-Einhorn, Haiyi Zhu, Vincent Aleven
ISLS 2024 Workshop
OPTIMISM: Enabling Collaborative Implementation of Domain Specific Metaheuristic Optimization
Megan Hofmann, Nayha Auradkar, Jessica Birchfield, Jerry Cao, Autumn G Hughes, Gene S-H Kim, Shriya Kurpad, Kathryn J Lum, Kelly Mack, Anisha Nilakantan, Margaret Ellen Seehorn, Emily Warnock, Jennifer Mankoff, Scott E Hudson
CHI 2023
Enhancing access to high quality tangible information through machine embroidered tactile graphics
Margaret Ellen Seehorn *, Gene S-H Kim*, Aashaka Desai, Megan Hofmann, Jennifer Mankoff
SCF 2022