IAC: Information Architecture conference

IAC: Information Architecture conference

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Opening Plenary

IAC23

Headshot of Carol Smith, a middle-aged, curly haired white woman, wearing glasses and a wry smile.
Carol J. Smith

Carol Smith (@carologic) is a senior research scientist in human-machine interaction at the Carnegie Mellon University Software Engineering Institute and an adjunct instructor for the CMU Human-Computer Interaction Institute. She has been leading user research to improve the human experience across industries for over 20 years and working to improve AI systems since 2015. Carol holds an M.S. in Human-Computer Interaction from DePaul University.

Headshot of Jeff Pass, a middle-aged, bald, bearded white male wearing glasses, a shirt, jacket and pocket square, with a squinting smile.
Jeffrey Ryan Pass
Jeff Pass made his first website in 1997 and has been involved in digital communications, design, usability, and IA ever since. For the past 23 years, he has been a federal contractor and has worked on dozens of digital government sites including HealthCare.gov, CFTC.gov, and MyHealth.VA.gov, as well as COVIDtests.gov and USPS.com, the topics of his talk this year.
Jeff attended his first IA Summit in New Orleans in 2012 and most Summits thereafter. A perennial IAS/IAC volunteer, Jeff was Diversity & Inclusion co-director for the inaugural IA Conference (2019/Orlando) and co-chair for the last year’s IAC (2023/New Orleans). He helped draft the original IA Summit code of conduct and to adapt it for the IAC.
Beyond IAC, Jeff has helped organize other industry events including World IA Day DC, UXDC, DCUX, GoodGov UX, IA Summit, and UXPA DC. He has also helped organize and lead UX and IA communities of practice for his employers since 2007.
Jeff lives in Takoma Park, MD with his beloved family. He is an audiophile, cinephile, bibliophile, epicurean/gourmand, culinarian/mixologist, and LEGO maniac.
Headshot of Bill Guo, a young Asian man with straight hair, wearing glasses and dark shirt, with a gentle smile.
Bill Guo

Bill Guo is an undergraduate student from Shanghai (China) finishing his senior year at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), where he studies human-computer Interaction (HCI) and learns about the significant impact of artificial intelligence on the many aspects of people’s lives and society. He believes that with growing impact comes a greater need for advancing responsible technology and reliable IA that could lead us towards a more just and equitable world.

Starting with little knowledge about IA & HCI, Bill built his interest in creating methods and tools to support (re)design, development, and deployment of responsible technology through research projects at the CMU Human-Computer Interaction Institute. His work is published at conferences, including CHI, ISLS, and ETCEL.

Bill currently leads the CMU User Experience Association (UXA), a student organization dedicated to supporting students’ interest in UX academically, socially, and professionally. He is excited to create an inclusive experience for students and everyone else at IAC23.