About

I am an incoming PhD student (starting fall 2025) 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.

News

June 2025
"Beyond Beautiful: Embroidering Legible and Expressive Tactile Graphics" is accepted to ASSETS 2025!
June 2025
"Challenges and Design Opportunities for AI-based Tutoring and Assessment Software in Special Education: An Interview Study with Teachers" is accepted to ECTEL 2025!
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!
January 2023
"OPTIMISM: Enabling Collaborative Implementation of Domain Specific Metaheuristic Optimization" is accepted to CHI 2023
October 2022
Traveling to Seattle, WA for SCF!
I am presenting my work on embroidered tactile graphics from the DUB REU
September 2022
"Enhancing access to high quality tangible information through machine embroidered tactile graphics" is accepted to SCF 2022
July 2022
I won the CREATE Accessible Textiles Hackfest
June 2022
Excited to join the Make4All lab as part of the DUB REU!

Publications

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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!
Challenges and Design Opportunities for AI-based Tutoring and Assessment Software in Special Education: An Interview Study with Teachers
C. Naomie, Margaret Ellen Seehorn, Haiyi Zhu, Vincent Aleven
ECTEL 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