Dear EPIC Community,

Today we’re delighted to announce that three outstanding EPIC people are joining the board. We’re also expressing gratitude and admiration for two wonderful members who are leaving the board.

We hope you’ll take a moment to read about these leaders and reflect on the collective effort that has made our nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization community possible for over two decades. Your participation is an important part of that!

Incoming Board Members

Elizabeth Churchill, Lindsey DeWitt Prat, and Meg Kinney (pictured below from left to right) are dedicated EPIC members who bring crucial expertise and infectious energy to our leadership team.

Elizabeth Churchill is the founding Department Chair and Professor of Human Computer Interaction at MBZUAI, the Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Prior to joining MBZUAI, she built research teams at Google, eBay, Yahoo, PARC and FujiXerox. She has also served as Executive Vice President of the Association for Computing Machinery. Elizabeth has a background in cognitive science, artificial intelligence, and psychology; she holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge, an honorary Doctor of Science from the University of Sussex, and an honorary doctorate from the University of Stockholm. She received the Citris-Banatao Institute Athena Award for Women in Technology for her Executive Leadership, the SIGCHI Lifetime Service Award in 2023, and the SIGCHI Lifetime Practice Award. Elizabeth has been deeply involved with the EPIC community since its inception, first serving as an advisory board member for the first EPIC conference in 2005. Read/watch Elizabeth’s work in the EPIC library and access her published work through Google Scholar.

“Throughout history, technology has consistently augmented human capabilities and social interactions. Today, we are facing an even deeper transformation as AI increasingly models, influences, and participates in reshaping our everyday existence. To navigate this shift successfully, particularly within organizations undergoing profound AI integration, ethnographic and sociocultural practices are indispensable. We have to move beyond a sole focus on technological prowess or delivering specifications to engage in change management, ensuring we build truly beneficial, meaningful, and ethical systems that empower both individuals and adaptive organizations. A deep understanding of organizational imperatives and how they impact design, development, and dissemination is one of the founding pillars of the EPIC community. Having been involved with EPIC since its inception, I am excited to work with the Board to advance our community’s capacity in this area as part of our forward-looking agenda.” —Elizabeth

Lindsey DeWitt Prat is a researcher and ethnographer trained in the social sciences and humanities. As Director at Bold Insight, she leads UX research initiatives that help teams understand how cultural and linguistic dynamics shape technology. Her broader interests center on identifying and addressing cultural barriers in global AI development and deployment, particularly around language. Lindsey has contributed to EPIC as a speaker, author, peer reviewer, tutorial instructor, and curator. Now based in Paris, she has lived and worked in the US, Japan, Belgium, Germany, and France. Lindsey holds a PhD in Asian Languages & Cultures from UCLA. Read/watch Lindsey’s EPIC paper and presentation on AI in African contexts.

“EPIC is that rare gem of a community that brings depth, inspiration, and connection to the heart of research practice. I’m so excited to work with fellow board members to shape a clear, thoughtful agenda for EPIC × AI and to develop learning and content opportunities that support our members and strengthen the entire applied research ecosystem.” —Lindsey

Meg Kinney is an executive marketing veteran and agency intrapreneur who came from the heartland of America and subsequently worked on the insight and strategy frontiers of just about every kind of specialization: design, branding, digital, experiential, shopper. She founded Bad Babysitter Productions – a strategy consultancy focused on using an ethnographic approach to illuminate market opportunity and create brand differentiation through deep understanding of culture, context, and what moves people emotionally. Her experience traverses Fortune 500 brands, retail, emerging sectors, and non-profits. Meg is most proud of her reputation for care, shifting mindsets toward creative holistic solutions that positively impact people and profits. Read/watch Meg’s work in the EPIC Library.

“A decade of EPIC membership has opened my aperture to myriad applications, perspectives, and talented professionals who share an ethos around the importance of understanding people and culture to build healthy organizations and systems of care. As a Board Member, I want to dedicate my efforts to expanding EPIC’s radius of influence, adapting our narrative for relevance, and nurturing values-aligned organizational relationships that champion ethnography, and EPIC, to meet this moment.” —Meg

Elizabeth, Lindsey, and Meg join board members Simon Roberts (President), Samantha Gottlieb (Treasurer), and Shriram Venkatraman. Completing the EPIC leadership team are staff members Jennifer Collier Jennings (Executive Director) and Crystal Morrow (Director of Systems & Operations). We hope you’ll take a moment to meet us!

Thanks and Admiration (Not Goodbye!)

As the board tenures of Shakima Jackson-Martinez and Alexandra Zafiroglu come to a close, we want to express our gratitude for everything they’ve brought to the EPIC community.

Shakima first came to EPIC in 2022 and seamlessly became part of our leadership team. As chair of the EPIC Equity Council, she extended and strengthened our programs, helped us expand opportunity, and navigated difficult shifts in the broader social and economic landscape. Perhaps less visible has been the value of Shakima’s expertise as an HR leader and experience in people, program, and organizational development. We’ve benefited from her wisdom in so many ways.

Alex is an OG; she attended the first EPIC conference in 2005 and over 20 years has served our community in just about every way – including as EPIC2020 conference chair. Her time on the board coincided with a hiatus from industry and her tenure as Professor of Cybernetics at ANU, where her interdisciplinary work on ethnography, AI, and complex systems had an important influence on our thinking and programming.

Shakima and Alex, thank you for your partnership and your commitment to the values of community, service, and ethnographic practice.

Here’s to another two decades!

—

Jennifer Collier Jennings, Executive Director
Simon Roberts, Board President