Sharifa Sultana

About Me

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I am a Responsible AI and human-AI interaction (HAI) researcher. I investigate appropriate ways to co-develop AI with communities. I have been working with rural communities in Bangladesh and immigrants in North America for the last ten years. I use both quantitative and qualitative (ethnographic) techniques and ethics frameworks to study and design AI tools and systems. My research has brought novel perspectives into Responsible AI, HAI, HCI, and information and communication technology for development (ICTD). 

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I am an Assistant Professor in Computer Science at UIUC. I am also an affiliated faculty member of the School of Information Sciences (iSchool); Center for Global Studies (CGS), Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (CSAMES), and Health Care Engineering Systems Center (HCESC) at the Coordinated Science Lab (CSL) at UIUC. I am also a member of the AI & Trust Working Group for 2025–26 at the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society (SRI) at the University of Toronto. I have remained a Facebook/Meta Fellow (2020-2022), while my research is supported by Meta and Jump ARCHES, DPI, and GIANT at UIUC, as well as the ICT Ministry, Bangladesh.

 

I completed my Ph.D. in Information Science at Cornell University, advised by Dr. Susan R. Fussell. I obtained my undergraduate degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET).

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My areas of interest are:

Responsible AI, HAI, HCI4D, Design, Safety, Well-being.

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Contact me with your CV & SOP if you are a prospective student, and/or fill in the Google Form if you are looking to work with me.

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Recent and Upcoming Events​​​​​

• Jan 16, 2026: Four Papers got accepted at CHI 2026.

  • ​”Data Repair”

  • ”Data Curation as an Artistic Performance in Rural Bangladesh”

  • ”Re-educating Educated Ones: A Case Study on Chakma Language Revitalization in Chittagong Hill Tracts”

  • ”Data Migration in HCI: The Politics of Invisible Borders, Informal Networks, and Immigrants’ Data”

• Jan 6, 2026: Appeared on Sokaler Bangladesh program on Jamuna TV to discuss Responsible AI for Bangladesh. 

• Jan 5, 2026: Gave a speech and attended the Responsible AI for Bangladesh Panel at  Dhaka University, Bangladesh. 

• Jan 4, 2026: Gave an invited speech at Brac University, Bangladesh. 

• Nov 11, 2025: Gave a guest lecture at NYU Abu Dhabi. 

• Oct 18, 2025: Paper got accepted at CIES 2026.

  • ​Reimagining Language Learning: A Gesture-Based Approach to Enhancing Persian Language Preservation