Lena Armstrong is a Computer Science PhD Student at Harvard University, working with Fernanda Viegas and Martin Wattenberg at the Insight & Interaction Lab and supported by the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship.
Her research has focused on human computer interaction, algorithmic justice, and AI auditing. She is interested in bridging humans and technology for social impact, understanding bias and opacity in automated systems, and encouraging more inclusive experiences in computer science.
Publications
Lena Armstrong and Danaë Metaxa. “Navigating Automated Hiring: Fairness Perceptions, Strategy Use, and Outcomes Among Young Job Seekers.” (accepted to CSCW 2025)
Lena Armstrong, Abbey Liu, Stephen MacNeil, and Danaë Metaxa. “The Silicon Ceiling: Auditing GPT’s Race and Gender Biases in Hiring.” EAAMO 2024.
Lena Armstrong, Jayne Everson, Amy J. Ko. “Navigating a Blackbox: Students’ Experiences and Perceptions of Automated Hiring.” ICER 2023.
Jean Salac, Alannah Oleson, Lena Armstrong, Audrey Le Meur, Amy J. Ko. “Funds of Knowledge used by Adolescents of Color in Scaffolded Sensemaking around Algorithmic Fairness.” ICER 2023. [BEST PAPER]
Jean Salac, Lena Armstrong, Megumi Kivuva, Jayne Everson, Alannah Oleson, Amy J. Ko. “How Economically-Marginalized Adolescents of Color Negotiate Critical
Pedagogy in a Computing Classroom.” (accepted to TOCE)
Posters
Design Use Build (DUB) REU Program (June - August 2022)
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Advisor: Prof. Amy J. Ko (Center for Learning, Computing, and Imagination, University of Washington)
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Perceptions of Automated Hiring: created a project to determine first-time job seekers’ perceptions and experiences with automated hiring algorithms to determine bias and opacity [Poster]
HCII Summer Undergraduate Research Program (June - August 2021)
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Advisor: Prof. Amy Ogan (Human Computer Interaction Institute, Carnegie Mellon University)
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Design-Based and Data-Driven Approach to Supporting Teachers in Low Infrastructure Contexts: worked on a chatbot to support hundreds of teachers in low infrastructure contexts in Côte d’Ivoire [Poster]
Penn Center for Neuroengineering and Therapeutics (May 2020 - December 2021)
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Advisor: Prof. Kathryn Davis (Davis Lab, Center for Neuroengineering and Therapeutics at the University of Pennsylvania)
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Machine learning of EEG to help diagnose epilepsy: created a pipeline to predict brain functional connectivity from structural connectivity with Python using brain network analysis and machine learning techniques [Poster for Penn Fall Research Expo]
Work and Leadership Experiences
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Head Teaching Assistant for Introduction to Human Computer Interction (CIS 4120/5120)
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Head Teaching Assistant for Introduction to Computer Programming (CIS 1100)
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Women in Computer Science (WICS) President
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Project Manager and UN Liaison at an NGO Hecho por Nosotros working to improve the sustainability of the fashion industry through transparency & traceability techology
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PennGreen Co-Director (sustainability-focused orientation program for first-year students)
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West Philadelphia Tutoring Project tutor for middle school students in STEM
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FemmeHacks Mentor at inclusive hackathon for women and non-binary people
Honors & Awards
- National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (2024)
- College Alumni Society Prize for Research in Cognitive Science (2023)
- Computer Science Academic Award (2023)
- Max Mintz Undergraduate TA Hall of Fame (2023)
- Phi Beta Kappa (2023)
Theme from orderedlist & evanca