Champions of Change
Sina Bahram is a PhD student in the Department of Computer Science at North Carolina State University; where he researches Human Computer Interaction (HCI). Sina's primary interest is the dynamic translation of interfaces, with an emphasis on innovative environments being used by persons with visual impairment (PWVI) to facilitate learning, independence and exploration. His other research interests focus on using AI inspired techniques to solve real-world user-centric problems. When he is not busy with his academic pursuits, Sina enjoys staying on the bleeding edge of technology and working with small, high-tech startup companies. Sina's passion for his field originally stems from the fact that he is mostly blind and uses assistive technologies such as a screen reader to navigate computer systems and technological devices. After experimenting in the fields of bioinformatics, privacy policy/law, and systems security, Sina discovered that his heart lies in helping users of all capabilities use computer systems more effectively and efficiently. He has worked in HCI full-time ever since. Sina Bahram is being honored as a Champion of Change for leading education and employment efforts in science, technology, engineering and math for Americans with disabilities.