I am a postdoctoral fellow of the Center of Coastal Climate Resilience and the Department of Engineering at the University of California Santa Cruz. My research explores technological interventions that support developing and maintaining climate resilience for local communities and individuals living in natural hazard risk areas through playful interaction experiences. I focuse on flooding risks in this broad range of natural hazards, including heavy rainfalls, coastal flooding, and precipitation. 

I am an associate professor at Aarhus University, Denmark. My research interests lie at the intersection of sustainability, everyday life, and the design of interactive, intelligent, and computational technology. I am currently working in the area of design, environmental data, energy communities, and alternative, sustainable futures, researching how understandings of everyday practices may shape the design of digital technology in more caring, diverse, participatory, collective, and sustainable ways. 

I’m a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of California, Berkeley. I have a Ph.D in Ecology and

Evolutionary Biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz. I specialize in studying the

involvement of local communities in the design and implementation of marine conservation efforts

through the system of Locally Managed Marine Areas and community-led blue carbon projects.

I’m a passionate practitioner and highly engaged researcher, convinced that an economic system

respectful of social and conservation issues is the key solution for sustainable development in

developing countries.

I am a lecturer (assistant professor) in the HCI group at the University of York, UK. My recent research has looked at how we can empower East African communities to make livelihood decisions using information about climate, weather, and water.

I am a PhD student at UC Santa Cruz in Computational Media. My research focuses on the intersection of HCI and Serious Games to address complex problems related to climate change and natural hazard resilience.

Isbister is Professor of Computational Media at the University of California Santa Cruz, where she directs the Social Emotional Technology Lab https://setlab.ucsc.edu/. Her team designs experiences combining HCI and Games/Play to heighten social and emotional connections and wellbeing, with a recent focus on supporting climate resilience. 

Rachel Charlotte Smith is Associate Professor at the Department of Digital Design and Information Studies at Aarhus University. She directs the Centre for Digital and Green Transformation in Cities and Communities (DIGTCOM), leading transdisciplinary research for the digital, social and green transformation of society. Her research focuses on computational practices and sustainable social change in everyday life and technological transformations across global south and north contexts. She contributes to fields of design anthropology, participatory design and human computer interaction to explore alternative, equitable, and responsible digital futures. In a current project Participatory AI for Sustainable Alternative Futures PAIA, she addresses urgent calls for technological alternatives to drive green transitions that engage diverse communities across Namibia and Denmark. She is Joachim Herz Fellow at Hamburg Institute for Advanced Study 2025/2026 and Associate Fellow at AIAS Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies. Recent publications include Contemporary Participatory Design: Research Agendas for Societal Crisis and the Routledge International Handbook of Contemporary Participatory Design.