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Priyank Chandra

Assistant Professor

About Me

I am an Assistant professor at the Faculty of Information, University of Toronto, and Director of the STREET Lab (Socio-Technical ResistancE and Ethical Technologies Lab), housed at KMDI.

I am passionate about ethical research that can help us understand the sociotechnical practices of marginalized communities. My current work looks at social movements, worker resistance, and accessibility, with a focus on how communities self-organize. My research is interdisciplinary, influenced by research drawn from Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Computer-Supported Collaborative Work (CSCW), and Information & Communication Technologies and Development (ICTD), and theories and concepts from Science & Technology Studies (STS), sociology, development studies, and institutional analysis.

I am looking for students and researchers to collaborate with. Please contact me if you are interested in any of the following:

  • designing with communities at the margins
  • social movements
  • informality
  • accessiblity

I used to be a postdoctoral fellow at the Thirdspace research group at University of Toronto’s Computer Science Department. In May 2019, I completed my Ph.D. from the School of Information at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor where I was adviced by Prof. Joyojeet Pal. I hold a MS in Economics and a BE in Electronics Engineering with prior experience in education research and data analytics.

Amongst other stuff, I love the following in no specific order - mythology, Carl Sagan, evolution, technology, dragons, Wong Kar-Wai, football, and Douglas Adams.

News

[April, 2024] SSHRC Institutional Grant (SIG). State-Owned Digital Labour Platforms and Platform Politics
[November, 2023]: SSHRC Institutional Grant (SIG) for “Repertoires of Contention in the Digital Labour Platforms (DLPs): Mapping Labour Resistance Strategies and Tactics in India”
[July, 2023]: Connaught New Researcher Award for “Participatory Design to Facilitate Collective Action Among Gig Economy Workers”

Publications

Peer-Reviewed Papers:

  1. Rodriguez, I., Petterson, A., Doggett, O. & Chandra, P. (2024). El costo de la independencia: Latino house-cleaners in Technology-Mediated Labour Markets. Proc. ACM Hum.-Comput.Interact. 8, CSCW2, Article 460 (November 2024), 32 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/3686999 (pdf)
  2. Thuppilikkat, A., Dhar, D., and Chandra, P. 2024. Union Makes Us Strong: Space, Technology, and On-Demand Ridesourcing Digital Labour Platforms. Proc. ACM Hum.-Comput. Interact. 8, CSCW2, Article 463 (November 2024), 36 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/3687002(pdf)
  3. Petterson, A., Rodriguez, I., Doggett, O. & Chandra, P. (2024, April). Networks of care in digital domestic labour economies. In Proceedings of the 2024 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. https://doi.org/10.1145/3613904.3642200.
  4. Doggett, O., Ratto, M. & Chandra, P. (2024, April). Migrant Farmworkers' Experiences of Agricultural Technologies: Implications for Worker Sociality and Desired Change. In Proceedings of the 2024 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. **Honourable Mention** https://doi.org/10.1145/3613904.3642263.
  5. Jit, S., Spinney, J., Chandra, P., Chilton, L. & Soden, R (2024, April). Writing out the Storm: Designing and Evaluating Tools for Weather Risk Messaging. In Proceedings of the 2024 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. https://doi.org/10.1145/3613904.3641926.
  6. Caidi, N., Ekmekcioglu, C., Jamali, R., and Chandra, P. (2023). (Re)Capturing the Spirit of Ramadan: Techno-Religious Practices in the Time of COVID-19. Proc. ACM Hum.-Comput. Interact. 7, CSCW2, Article 249 (October 2023), 25 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/3610040. (pdf)
  7. Petterson, A., Cheng, K., & Chandra, P. (2023, April). Playing with Power Tools: Design Toolkits and the Framing of Equity. In Proceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 1-24). https://doi.org/10.1145/3544548.3581490. (source)
  8. Ekmekcioglu, Cansu, Priyank Chandra, and Syed Ishtiaque Ahmed. "A Matter of Time: Anticipation Work and Digital Temporalities in Refugee Humanitarian Assistance in Turkey." Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction 7.CSCW1 (2023): 1-36. https://doi.org/10.1145/3579455. (pdf)
  9. Gupta, P., Petterson, A., Motla, D., & Chandra, P. (2022). Ladange, Adange, Jeetange: The Farmers' Movement and Its Virtual Spaces. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 6(CSCW2), 1-34. https://doi.org/10.1145/3555547. (pdf)
  10. Rohanifar, Y., Sultana, S., Hasan, S., Chandra, P., & Ahmed, S. I. (2022). " Kabootar": Towards Informal, Trustworthy, and Community-Based FinTech for Marginalized Immigrants. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 6(CSCW2), 1-32. https://doi.org/10.1145/3555109. (pdf)
  11. Caidi, N., Ekmekcioglu, C., Jamali, R., & Chandra, P. (2022). Socially-Distant Fasting: Information Practices of Young Muslims During Pandemic to ISIC 2022. https://doi.org/10.47989/irisic2235. (pdf)
  12. Ekmekcioglu, C., Caidi, N., Chandra, P. & Jamali, R. (2022). Altered Rhythms of Ramadan: Temporalities of Social Media Non/Use during COVID-19. International Conference on Social Media & Society 2022. (SMSociety 2022). https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/enmd4. (pdf)
  13. Moitra, A., Ahmed, S.I., & Chandra, P. (2021). Parsing the ‘Me’ in #MeToo: Sexual Harassment, Social Media, and Justice Infrastructures. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 5(CSCW1), ACM. https://doi.org/10.1145/3449185. (pdf)
  14. Rohanifar, Y., Chandra, P., et al. (2021). Money Whispers: Informality, International Politics, and Immigration in Transnational Finance. In Proceedings of the 2021 SIGCHI conference on human factors in computing systems. ACM. May 8–13, 2021, Yokohama, Japan. ACM, New York, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.1145/3411764.3445065. (pdf)
  15. Chandra, P. (2021). Piracy and the Impaired Cyborg: Assistive Technologies, Accessibility, and Access. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 4(CSCW3), 1-21. ACM. **Best Paper Award and D&I Recognition** https://doi.org/10.1145/3432941. (pdf)
  16. Al-Ameen, M.N., Tamanna, T., Nandy, S., Ahsan, M.A., Chandra, P., & Ahmed, S.I. (2020). We Don’t Give a Second Thought Before Providing Our Information”: Understanding Users’ Perceptions of Information Collection by Apps in Urban Bangladesh. Proceedings of the 3rd ACM SIGCAS Conference on Computing and Sustainable Societies. (COMPASS 2020) https://doi.org/10.1145/3378393.3402244. (pdf)
  17. Tushar, A., Antara, I., Das, D., Chandra, P., et al. (2020). We Need More Power to Stand Up'': Designing to Combat Stigmatization of the Caregivers of Children with Autism in Urban Bangladesh. In Proceedings of the Eleventh International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development. ACM. (ICTD 2020) https://doi.org/10.1145/3392561.3394643. (pdf)
  18. Haque, S., Haque, R., Nandy, S, Chandra, P., et al. (2020). Privacy Vulnerabilities in Public Digital Service Centers in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Proceedings of the Eleventh International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development. ACM. (ICTD 2020) https://doi.org/10.1145/3392561.3394642. (pdf)
  19. Marathe, M. & Chandra, P. (2020). Officers Never Type: Examining the Persistence of Paper in e-Governance. In Proceedings of the 2020 SIGCHI conference on human factors in computing systems. ACM. https://doi.org/10.1145/3313831.3376216. (pdf)
  20. Chandra, P. & Pal, J. (2019). Rumors and Collective Sensemaking: Managing Ambiguity in an Informal Marketplace. In Proceedings of the 2019 SIGCHI conference on human factors in computing systems. ACM. https://doi.org/10.1145/3290605.3300563. (pdf)
  21. Chandra, P. & Chen J. (2019). Taming the Amazon: The Domestication of Online Shopping in India. In Proceedings of the Tenth International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development. ACM. https://doi.org/10.1145/3287098.3287105. (pdf)
  22. Pal, J., Chandra, P., et al. (2018). Digital Payment and its Discontents: Street shops and the Indian Government’s Push for Cashless Transactions. In Proceedings of the 2018 SIGCHI conference on human factors in computing systems. ACM. https://doi.org/10.1145/3173574.3173803. (pdf)
  23. Gonawela, A., Pal, J., Thawani, U., Vlugt, V.V., Out, W., & Chandra, P. (2018) Attack or Insult: Populist Style and Antagonistic Messaging on Twitter of Donald Trump, Narendra Modi, Nigel Farage, and Geert Wilders. In Proceedings of the European Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work (ECSCW). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10606-018-9316-2. (pdf)
  24. Chakraborty, S., Pal, J., Chandra, P., & Romero, D. (2018). Political Tweets and Mainstream News Impact in India: A Mixed Methods Investigation into Political Outreach. 1st ACM SIGCAS Conference on Computing and Sustainable Societies https://doi.org/10.1145/3209811.3209825. (pdf)
  25. Pal, J., Chandra, P., et al. (2017). Innuendo as outreach: @narendramodi and the use of political irony on Twitter. International Journal of Communication. 11: 22. (pdf)
  26. Chandra, P. (2017). Informality and Invisibility: Traditional Technologies as Tools for Collaboration in an Informal Market. In Proceedings of the 2017 SIGCHI conference on human factors in computing systems. ACM. **Honorable Mention** https://doi.org/10.1145/3025453.3025643. (pdf)
  27. Chandra, P., Ahmed, S.I., Pal, J. (2017). Market Practices and the Bazaar: Technology Consumption in Urban ICT Markets in the Global South. In Proceedings of the 2017 SIGCHI conference on human factors in computing systems. ACM. https://doi.org/10.1145/3025453.3025970. (pdf)
  28. Pal, J., Viswanathan, A., Chandra, P., et al. (2017). Agency in assistive technology adoption: Visual impairment and smartphone use in Bangalore. In Proceedings of the 2017 SIGCHI conference on human factors in computing systems. ACM. https://doi.org/10.1145/3025453.3025895. (pdf)
  29. Chandra, P. (2016). Order in the Warez, Scene: Explaining an Underground Virtual Community with the CPR Framework. In Proceedings of the 2016 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 372-383). ACM. https://doi.org/10.1145/2858036.2858341. (pdf)
  30. Pal, J., Chandra, P., & Vydiswaran, V. V. (2016). Twitter and the Rebranding of Narendra Modi. Economic & Political Weekly, 51(8), 53. (pdf)
  31. Pal, J., Chandra, P., et al. (2016). An accessibility infrastructure for the Global South. In Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development (p. 24). ACM. (pdf)
  32. Pal, J., Youngman, M., O'Neill, T., Chandra, P., & Semushi, C. (2015). Gender and accessibility in Rwanda and Malawi. In Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development (p. 5). ACM. https://doi.org/10.1145/2737856.2738020. (pdf)

Peer-Reviewed Notes and Workshop Papers:

  1. Petterson, A., Thuppilikkat, A. A., Gupta, P., Klassen, S., Jack, M. C., Liu, J., & Chandra, P. (2023, April). Supporting Social Movements Through HCI and Design. In Extended Abstracts of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 1-5). https://doi.org/10.1145/3544549.3573812 (pdf)
  2. Jit, S., Spinney, J., Chandra, P., & Soden, R. (2023). Semi-Automated Approach for Evaluating Severe Weather Risk Communication. In Extended Abstracts of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 1-8). https://doi.org/10.1145/3544549.3585753.(pdf)
  3. Tang, Nicole and Chandra, P. (2022). Community, Culture, and Capital: Exploring the Financial Practices of Older Hong Kong Immigrants. In CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Extended Abstracts. April 2022 Article No.: 410. Pages 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1145/3491101.3519740. (pdf)
  4. Moitra, A., Marathe, M., Ahmed, S.I., and Chandra, P. (2021). Negotiating Intersectional Non-Normative Queer Identities in India. In Proceedings of the 2021 SIGCHI conference on human factors in computing systems Extended Abstracts (CHI ’21 Extended Abstracts), May 8–13, 2021, Yokohama, Japan. ACM, New York, NY, USA https://doi.org/10.1145/3411763.3451822. (pdf)
  5. Singh, A. and Chandra, P. (2021) “Collective Techno-cultural Imaginaries Of Food Delivery Workers” in “This Seems to Work”: Designing Technological Systems with The Algorithmic Imaginations of Those Who Labor. Workshop, at CHI 2021, Japan
  6. You, S. and Chandra, P. (2018). Integrating Autonomous Vehicles into Everyday Life: From Theory to Practice, at the Conference on Autonomous vehicles in society: Building a research agenda.
  7. Kameswaran, V., Marathe, M., and Chandra, P. (2018). Redefining the Landmark - Designing Navigation Tools for the Visually Impaired, at HCIxB, CHI 2018, Canada
  8. Kameswaran, V., Marathe, M., Chandra, P., et al. (2017). Usability in the field: Reflections from an HCI4D project in rural West Bengal, at HCIxB, CHI 2017, USA
  9. Marathe, M., Chandra, P., et al. (2016). In search of missing pieces: A re-examination of trends in ICTD research. In Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development (p. 60). ACM. https://doi.org/10.1145/2909609.2909644. (pdf)
  10. Chandra, P. (2016). Across the Borders of Legality: Leveraging Pirate Infrastructures, at HCI4D Across Borders, CHI 2016, USA
  11. Chandra, P., & Jones, J. (2015). Assistive Technologies and Autonomy in a Cyborg World. In Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development (p. 31). ACM. https://doi.org/10.1145/2737856.2737905. (pdf)