Sharifa Sultana

About Me

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I am a Responsible AI and human-AI interaction (HAI) researcher. I investigate appropriate ways to co-develop AI with communities. I have been working with rural communities in Bangladesh and immigrants in North America for the last ten years. I use both quantitative and qualitative (ethnographic) techniques and ethics frameworks to study and design AI tools and systems. My research has brought novel perspectives into Responsible AI, HAI, HCI, and information and communication technology for development (ICTD). 

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I am an Assistant Professor in Computer Science at UIUC. I am also an affiliated faculty member of the School of Information Sciences (iSchool); Center for Global Studies (CGS), Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (CSAMES), and Health Care Engineering Systems Center (HCESC) at the Coordinated Science Lab (CSL) at UIUC. I am also a member of the AI & Trust Working Group for 2025–26 at the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society (SRI) at the University of Toronto. I have remained a Facebook/Meta Fellow (2020-2022), while my research is supported by Meta and Jump ARCHES, DPI, and GIANT at UIUC, as well as the ICT Ministry, Bangladesh.

 

I completed my Ph.D. in Information Science at Cornell University, advised by Dr. Susan R. Fussell. I obtained my undergraduate degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET).

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My areas of interest are:

Responsible AI, HAI, HCI4D, Design, Safety, Well-being.

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Contact me with your CV & SOP if you are a prospective student, and/or fill in the Google Form if you are looking to work with me.

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Recent and Upcoming Events​​​​​

• October 18, 2025: Paper got accepted at CIES 2026.

  • ​Reimagining Language Learning: A Gesture-Based Approach to Enhancing Persian Language Preservation

• April 20, 2025: Paper got accepted at DIS 2025.

  • ‘Socheton’: A Culturally Appropriate AI Tool to Support Reproductive Well-being.

• I have received the 2025 Sheth Distinguished Faculty Award for International Achievement.

• Jan 27, 2025: Paper got accepted at CHI 2025.

  • Talking About the Assumption in the Room.

• Dec 25, 2024: Paper got accepted at iConference 2025.

  • ​Analysis of the integration of e-commerce and rural lives in China​

• Oct 4, 2024: Paper got accepted at ACM GROUP 2025.​

  • "My very subjective human interpretation": domain expert perspectives on navigating the text analysis loop for topic models.

• Sept 12, 2024: Paper got accepted at ICTD 2024.​

  • The Ancient Elephant in the Room: Stigma, Gender Norms, and Cultural Barriers in Reproductive Care in Bangladesh.

• I am serving the ICTD 2024 organizing team as the Notes Chair.​​​