The paper envisioned the needs and requirements for deriving context-aware designs for the underserved communities, based on two real-world case studies from our non-profit collaborator organizations. I am deeply grateful to my advisors and collaborators from Georgia Tech and the Ka Moamoa Lab: Alex Cabral, Josiah Hester, Umakishore Ramachandran, and Ashutosh Dhekne, for their unwavering guidance and support throughout this journey. I would also like to acknowledge our non-profit organizational partners, OLE Nepal and HSAAT, for their continued support and encouragement. My heartfelt thanks also go to the reviewers, whose thoughtful feedback helped shape the quality of our work, and to the entire COMPASS organizing team for their tireless efforts in making this conference a reality. The full paper can be accessed here: https://dl.acm.org/doi/full/10.1145/3715335.3735497

Looking back, the four-day conference was nothing short of a roller coaster of insights and inspiration. COMPASS brought together a diverse and interdisciplinary community from around the globe including researchers, designers, and practitioners united by a shared commitment to connecting technological design with social impact. Despite coming from different disciplines and contexts, what bonded all attendees was a collective vision for designing toward societal betterment. That, to me, is what transformed COMPASS from a typical academic conference into a true community.

Beyond the paper presentation and volunteering responsibilities, I had the opportunity to attend a workshop on “Designing Sustainable Indigenous Technology” and participate in the Doctoral Consortium (DC). The workshop brought together participants from both local organizations and academic institutions. Small groups formed around shared interests, brainstorming and envisioning solutions that centered Indigenous voices and knowledge systems. It was inspiring to witness how much meaningful and actionable work could emerge from a single day of collaboration – ideas I would not be surprised to see further developed by the next COMPASS.

The Doctoral Consortium was another highlight – my first-ever DC (even if I might have been slightly early in my PhD journey to attend one!). It provided a space for self-reflection, community building, and future planning. One memorable icebreaker asked us: “If your upcoming academic year were a breakfast food, what would it be and why?” , an interesting and thought-provoking exercise. We also explored activities from “Designing Your Life” by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, a book that many of the DC activities drew inspiration from.

Moreover, volunteering as an SV offered me a behind-the-scenes look into what it takes to organize a large-scale, international conference. It also introduced me to a wonderful group of fellow volunteers, organizers, and sponsors who made the experience even more enriching. I am thankful to each of them for the support and shared moments throughout the event.

Overall, COMPASS 2025 was a wholesome, enriching experience filled with thought-provoking paper and poster presentations, panels, inclusive workshops, and meaningful conversations. I left with constructive feedback on my own research, new collaborations, and a handful of exciting new design concepts that I am eager to explore further; including “sufficiency,” “degrowth,” and “Parma computing.” These ideas, introduced to me through conversations and presentations at the conference, have already started reshaping how I think about my research and its broader implications.

Congratulations to the entire COMPASS family for a successful and impactful conference. I am already looking forward to what lies ahead, and I hope to see many familiar faces again at COMPASS 2026!