ACM-W Above and Beyond: Dr Roghayeh Leila Barmaki’s Journey in Computing and Research
As part of the ACM-W Above and Beyond Project, we are excited to feature Dr. Roghayeh Leila Barmaki, an assistant professor in the Department of Computer and Information Sciences at the University of Delaware, where she directs the Human-Computer Interaction Lab. Her research makes significant contributions at the intersections of applied machine learning, multimodal human behavior analysis, virtual and augmented reality, and human-computer interaction.
Dr. Barmaki holds a PhD in Computer Science and an MSc in Artificial Intelligence. Before joining the University of Delaware in 2018, she was a postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University.
Dr. Barmaki’s research has been supported by several federal and corporate agencies, including the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Amazon Research Awards, and the Amazon Health Equity Initiative. Her work has been recognized with multiple international awards, including the ACM/IEEE CHASE’23 Best Paper Award, the IEEE AIxVR’24 Best Paper Honorable Mention Award, and the ACM ICMI’16 Best Challenges Award.
In addition to her research, Dr. Barmaki is deeply committed to mentoring and guiding her students. She emphasizes building resilience and confidence in her students while encouraging them to embrace challenges and rejection as part of their academic journey. Her lab fosters a collaborative and supportive environment where students are empowered to grow and succeed. To learn more about Dr. Barmaki’s research and the work being done at the Human-Computer Interaction Lab, please visit https://sites.udel.edu/hci-lab/.
What has been a highlight of attending the conference (utilizing the ACM-W Scholarship)?
The ACM-W scholarship enabled me to attend my first technical conference in computer science, which also became my home research community later. I was able to attend the Educational Data Mining (EDM) Conference in London, UK in the summer of 2014 to present my first doctoral track paper. The highlight of the conference was meeting with leaders in the field of educational data mining, shaping my future research direction on educational technology, and getting a unique opportunity to meet with like-minded, cross-disciplinary scholars during the conference.
How did attending the ACM-W-sponsored conference impact your career? Did it lead to any important connections in your field?
Some of the scholars whom I met during the EDM conference as a second-year PhD student who used the ACM-W scholarship became my career-long inspirations. As of today, I still enjoy learning and following their groundbreaking research. It is indeed valuable as well to exchange ideas with them and contribute to our growing community in different capacities. The connections were helpful in shaping my own research directions and navigating the multi-disciplinary research agenda in my research team.
What has been your career highlight? What are you most proud of?
My career highlight is care. I was beyond fortunate to have a super supportive and caring PhD advisor, Dr. Charles Hughes, who not only helped me to get my PhD but also prepared me to become a caring human being when it comes to academic jobs and advising. Unlike many advisors, for me, it’s very essential to get to know my students and help them to know themselves better. I help them become comfortable with rejection, I try to be with my students when things go wrong and help them improve along their journey. I am most proud of my students. It is incredibly rewarding to witness the journey students take and how they grow confidence and resilience throughout their academic and research pursuits.
What aspects of your career have you found challenging?
I am a “slow” person. I savor the journey rather than the end. The competitive and demanding nature of the academic career is my least favorite part of my career. Especially for the type of research I am doing, which needs multiple disciplinary expertise and attacks real-world problems in education and healthcare, fitting in with a traditional computer science mindset is a significant barrier. If we would like the computing field to extend to other disciplines organically, we need to become more comfortable with slow progress, iterations, rejections, and time investment. I hope the paradigm shift with the widespread use of AI in other disciplines helps us get there soon.
Was the connection to ACM-W helpful or important in any immediate and lasting way?
Indeed. Nowadays, I am doing research on role modeling simulations so that young girls can become more interested in computer science. Back in my graduate school, when there were not so many role models around me to keep me going, the ACM-W community and grad cohort community scholars were my inspirations. Some members of the ACM-W community became my lifetime mentors and helped me navigate my academic job and parenting journeys throughout the past decade.
Is there anything else you would like to share with us that we can highlight about your story?
Thank you for the opportunity to feature my story. The ACM-W scholarship empowered me to go beyond my comfort zone and to travel overseas by myself to become more confident about my research journey. I got the award when I mostly needed it. Otherwise, I could not have attended the EDM conference eleven years ago, and my career path would have been likely different.
Dr. Roghayeh Leila Barmaki’s journey reflects the heart of the ACM-W Above and Beyond Project—emphasizing care, patience, and the value of nurturing future scholars. Her commitment to understanding her students, helping them embrace rejection, and guiding them through challenges highlights a rare and meaningful approach to mentorship.
In a fast-paced academic world, Dr. Barmaki’s belief in slow, thoughtful research that addresses real-world problems serves as a powerful reminder that lasting progress often requires time, iteration, and resilience. Her dedication to both her students and her research ensures a lasting impact on the computing field and beyond.