Anna C. Cavender
Google, Inc.
651 North 34th Street
Seattle, WA 98125
Email: [email protected]
WWW: http://www.annacavender.com
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Within Human-Computer Interaction, I am interested in accessible technology for people with disabilities. I
am currently working on implementing a <track> tag within HTML5 <video> for caption and subtitle
support in WebKit. I have also worked on technology that encourages and improves education and
communication for Deaf and hard of hearing people.
EDUCATION
Ph.D. Computer Science & Engineering, University of Washington, 2010
Advised by Richard Ladner
Explored technological solutions to encourage access to and participation of Deaf and hard of hearing
students in mainstream, university-level classrooms.
M.S. Computer Science & Engineering, University of Washington, 2006
Advised by Richard Ladner and Eve Riskin
Developed video compression metrics specific to sign language communication over low-bandwidth
networks (such as cell phone networks). Conducted usability studies to inform and validate video
compression schemes.
B.S. Computer and Information Science, University of Oregon, 2004
Advised by Anthony Hornof and Mary Flanagan
Developed EyeDraw, a program that uses an eyetracker to allow children with mobility impairments to
draw with their eyes. Studied usability of using eyes as program input.
Constructed a web-based educational game for middle school girls called Josie True.
REFEREED JOURNAL ARTICLES
Cavender, A., Vanam, R., Barney, D.K., Ladner, R.E., and Riskin, E.A. (2007) MobileASL: Intelligibility of
sign language video over mobile phones. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology. London:
Taylor and Francis, pp. 1-13.
REFEREED CONFERENCE PUBLICATIONS
Kushalnagar, R.S., Cavender, A.C., Pâris, J.F. (2010) Multiple View Perspectives: Improving
Inclusiveness and Video Compression in Mainstream Classroom Recordings. Proceedings of ACM
SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2010), New York: ACM, 123-130.
[31% acceptance rate]
Cavender, A.C., Otero, D.S., Bigham, J.P. and Ladner, R.E. (2010) ASL-STEM Forum: Enabling Sign
Language to Grow Through Online Collaboration. Proceedings of ACM CHI 2010: Conference on Human
Factors in Computing Systems, New York: ACM, 2075-2078. [22% acceptance rate]
Cavender, A.C., Bigham, J.P. and Ladner, R.E. (2009) ClassInFocus: Enabling Improved Visual Attention
Strategies for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students. Proceedings of ACM SIGACCESS Conference on
Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2009), New York: ACM, 67-74. Winner of Best Student
Technical Paper Award [31% acceptance rate]
Bigham, J.P. and Cavender, A.C. (2009). Evaluating Existing Audio CAPTCHAs and an Interface
Optimized for Non-Visual Use. Proceedings of ACM CHI 2009: Conference on Human Factors in
Computing Systems, New York: ACM, 1829-1838. [24.5% acceptance rate]
Cavender, A.C., Roth, R.I., and Ladner, R.E. (2009). The Summer Academy for Advancing Deaf and Hard
of Hearing in Computing. Proceedings of ACM SIGCSE Technical Symposium on Computer Science
Education (SIGCSE 2009), New York: ACM, 514-518. [33% acceptance rate]
Trewin, S.M., Hanson V.L., Laff, M.R., and Cavender, A.C. (2008) PowerUp: An Accessible Virtual World.
Proceedings of ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2008), New
York: ACM, 177-184. [37% acceptance rate]
Brudvik, J.T., Bigham, J.P., Cavender, A.C., Ladner, R.E. (2008) Hunting for Headings: Sighted Labelers
vs. Automatic Classification of Headings. Proceedings of ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers
and Accessibility (ASSETS 2008), New York: ACM, pp. 201-208. [37% acceptance rate]
Trewin, S.M., Laff, M.R., Cavender, A.C., and Vicki L. Hanson (2008) Accessibility in virtual worlds. CHI
2008 Extended Abstracts: Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, New York: ACM, pp.
2727-2732. [38% acceptance rate]
Bigham, J.P., Cavender, A.C., Kaminsky, R.S., Prince, C.M. and Robison, T.S. (2008) Transcendence:
Enabling a Personal View of the Deep Web (2008). Proceedings of the International Conference on
Intelligent User Interfaces (IUI 08), New York: ACM, pp. 169-178. [15% acceptance rate]
Bigham, J.P., Cavender, A.C., Brudvik, J.T., Wobbrock, J.O., and Ladner, R.E. (2007) WebinSitu: A
Comparative Analysis of Blind and Sighted Browsing Behavior. Proceedings of ACM SIGACCESS
Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2007), New York: ACM, pp. 51-58. [31%
acceptance rate]
Cherniavsky, N., Cavender, A.C., Riskin, E.A., and Ladner, R.E. (2007) Variable Frame Rate for Low
Power Mobile Sign Language Communication. Proceedings of ACM SIGACCESS Conference on
Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2007), New York: ACM, pp. 163-170. [31% acceptance rate]
Cavender, A., Ladner, R.E., and Riskin, E.A. (2006) MobileASL: Intelligibility of Sign Language Video as
Constrained by Mobile Phone Technology. Proceedings of ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers
and Accessibility (ASSETS 2006), New York: ACM, pp. 71-78. Winner of Best Student Technical Paper
Award [33% acceptance rate]
Hornof, A.J., and Cavender, A. (2005) EyeDraw: Enabling children with severe motor impairments to draw
with their eyes. Proceedings of ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 2005),
New York: ACM, 161-170. [25% acceptance rate]
Hornof, A.J., Cavender, A., and Hoselton, R., (2004) EyeDraw: A system for drawing pictures with eye
movements. Proceedings of ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS
2004), New York: ACM, 86-93. [50% acceptance rate]
Hornof, A.J., Cavender, A., and Hoselton, R. (2004) EyeDraw: A system for drawing pictures with the eyes.
Extended Abstracts of ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 2004), New York:
ACM, 1251-1254. [29% acceptance rate]
BOOK CHAPTER
Cavender, A.C., Ladner, R.E. (2008) Hearing Impairments. Chapter 3 in Harper and Yesilada (eds.), Web
Accessibility: A Foundation for Research. New York: Springer, pp. 25-36.
PATENT
Cavender, A.C., Laff, M.R., Trewin, S.M. (2008) System and Method for Optimizing Natural Language
Descriptions of Objects in a Virtual Environment. Application pending.
POSTERS
Bigham, J.P., Cavender, A.C., DeWitt, J.N., Otero, D., and Ladner, R.E. (2008) ASL-STEM Forum: A
Bottom-Up Approach to Enabling American Sign Language to Grow in STEM Fields. Proceedings of the
International Conference on Weblogs and Social Media (ICWSM 2008).
Cavender, A.C., Ladner, R.E. (2008) A Consolidated Platform to Promote Accessibility in Mainstream
Classrooms. Technology and Deaf Education: An International Symposium. National Technical Institute
for the Deaf, Rochester, NY, June 2008.
Ladner, R.E., Otero, D., Dewitt, J.N., Cavender, A.C. (2008) ASL-STEM Forum. Technology and Deaf
Education: An International Symposium. National Technical Institute for the Deaf, Rochester, NY, June
2008.
WORKSHOPS
Cavender, A.C. (2007) Using Networked Multimedia to Improve Educational Access for Deaf and Hard of
Hearing Students. Doctoral Consortium of ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computing and
Accessibility (ASSETS 2007). [40% acceptance rate]
Ciaramello, F., Cavender, A., Hemami, S., Riskin, E., and Ladner, R. (2006) Predicting Intelligibility of
Compressed American Sign Language Video With Objective Quality Metrics. International Workshop on
Video Processing and Quality Metrics for Consumer Electronics, Scottsdale, AZ, January 2006.
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
Cavender, A., Trewin, S. and Hanson, V. (2008) General writing guidelines for technology and people with
disabilities. ACM SIGACCESS Accessibility and Computing Issue 92 (September 2008), pages 17-22,
ACM Press. http://www.sigaccess.org/community/writing_guidelines/
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Teaching Assistant, University of Washington (Summer 2005, Winter 2007)
Introduction to Computer Programming (CSE 142)
Taught study sections, graded, and supported students.
Tutor, University of Washington (Summer 2007, Summer 2008)
Summer Academy for Advancing Deaf and Hard of Hearing (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011)
Taught, tutored, and supported nine Deaf and hard of hearing students in Introduction to
Computer Programming (CSE 142 and CSE 110). Reviewed applications for acceptance.
Saturday Computing Experience for Deaf and Hard of Hearing at UW (2011).
Tutored students in project development using Arduino platform.
STUDENT SUPERVISION
Jessica DeWitt, Undergraduate Research Assistant in Computer Science, (Summer-Fall 2006)
Katie Sullivan, Undergraduate Research Assistant in Computer Science, (Summer 2009)
INVITED PRESENTATIONS
Internal:
TC 521: Technical Communications Seminar, University of Washington: 2007.
INFO 498b: Input and Interaction, Lecture on Eye Tracking as Input, University of Washington, 2009.
External:
Tech Talk Series, University of Puget Sound, Washington: 2008.
Brown Bag Presentations, National Technical Institute of the Deaf (NTID): 2009.
Google ACDC Tech Talk Series: 2010.
HONORS AND AWARDS
! University of Washington Graduate School Medal (2010)
" The Graduate School Medal recognizes the “scholar-citizen” whose academic expertise
!
!
!
and social awareness are integrated in a way that demonstrates active civic engagement
and a capacity to promote political, cultural and social change.
Best Student Paper, ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS
2009)
" Paper entitled, “ClassInFocus: Enabling Improved Visual Attention Strategies for Deaf
and Hard of Hearing Students.”
IBM Ph.D. Scholarship (2008)
Best Student Paper, ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS
2006)
" Paper entitled, “MobileASL: Intelligibility of Sign Language Video as Constrained by
Mobile Phone Technology.”
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (2005-2008)
!
! Computing Research Association (CRA) Outstanding Undergraduate Award (2004)
" Awarded for undergraduate research on projects EyeDraw and Josie True.
! Max E. Gellert Scholarship (2004)
! Upsilon Pi Epsilon Honor Society (2003)
! Erwin & Gertrude Juilfs Academic Scholarship (2002)
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
Reviewing
ASSETS: ACM Conference on Computers and Accessibility, 2009, 2010, 2011.
AT: Assistive Technology Journal, 2009.
CHI: ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010.
UIST: ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology, 2011.
IUI: Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces, 2008.
TACCESS: Transactions on Accessible Computing, 2009, 2010.
UbiComp: ACM International Conference on Ubiquitous Computing, 2010.
W4A: International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility, 2010, 2011.
GI: Graphics Interface, 2011.
Special Issue Editor
Universal Access in the Information Society (UAIS) 2010.
Student Research Competition Judge
ASSETS: ACM Conference on Computers and Accessibility 2010.
Accessibility Chair
ASSETS: ACM Conference on Computers and Accessibility 2011.
INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE
Intern in Research, IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, Hawthorne, NY (Fall 2007)
Mentor: Vicki Hanson, Advisors: Mark Laff and Shari Trewin
Tasked with developing design guidelines, suggestions, and recommendations for accessibility of
3D virtual worlds, specifically a 3D educational game intended for grade school children.
Database Administrator, University of Oregon (3/2003-9/2004)
Supervisors: Star Holmberg, Michal Young
Created an inventory database and web-based user interface. Established a database of student
academic information for administrative use. Provided prospective students with web page front
end to check application status to the graduate program.
RELATED ACTIVITIES
GoogleServe Event at ADWAS (Abused Deaf Women Advocacy Services) (6/16 - 6/17/2011)
Organized a GoogleServe volunteer event where 12 Googlers cleaned and re-organized a
therapist’s toy and craft room, weeded and planted a large outdoor space, and built a puppet
theater for children of domestic violence victims.
Volunteer, Pacific Science Center (11/2009-6/2010)
Created an all-ages appropriate activity based on my research for use on the exhibit floor of the
Pacific Science Center in Seattle.
Mentor, ACM ASSETS Technical Paper Author Mentor Program (3/2-5/11/2009)
Mentored authors on submissions to ASSETS technical paper program.
Volunteer, National Federation of the Blind Junior Science Academy (7/23-7/25/2008)
Led two Computer Science “Unplugged” activities with 38 blind elementary students.
Volunteer, ADWAS (Abused Deaf Women Advocacy Services) Auction (11/17/2007)
Volunteer, DO-IT (7/17-7/21/2006)
Disability Opportunities – Internetworking and Technology : Game of Life Workshop
updated August 2011