Hello! I'm Arnavi Chheda-Kothary, a first-year PhD student in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science at the University of Washington. My co-advisors at UW are Professor Jon Froehlich and Professor Jacob Wobbrock. I am also a Senior Software Engineer at the Allen Institute for AI, where I work on the Research Visualization team. My research interests lie in utilizing applied artificial intelligence and novel interaction techniques to create accessible technologies for people with disabilities.
Prior to my PhD, I worked at Microsoft as a Software Engineer and a Software Engineering Manager (2016-2021), after which I pursued a Master's degree in Computer Science from Columbia University (2021-2023). At Columbia, I was a graduate student researcher in the Computer-Enabled Abilities Lab advised by Professor Brian Smith. My Master's thesis explored techniques to enable equivalent access of web user interfaces for people who are blind or have low vision. I also hold Bachelor's degrees in Computer Science and Human Centered Design and Engineering from the University of Washington (2012-2016).