Hello! I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Northwestern University.
I received my PhD from the Department of Human-Centered Design & Engineering at The University of Washington, where I was co-advised by Dr. Sean Munson and Dr. Julie Kientz. I do Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) research that focuses on health inequities. Specifically, I explore how design can support (or not support) LGBTQ+ people with their health needs.
My understanding of health is holistic and targets the individual, community, and structural levels involved in technological interventions. I think critically about what it means to engage with marginalized people in HCI research.
I have an MS in Human Factors Engineering and a BS in Engineering Psychology from Tufts University. Outside of research, you can find me swimming in the nearest body of water.
Publications
The Cruel Optimism of Staying: Understanding The Roles of Affect and Adaptation in Dating App Persistence. Li, L., Sudarsan, S., Barnowski, H., Liang, C.A. (2026). In Designing Interactive Systems Conference (DIS ’26).
" Chat, Should I Leave Him?" Risks, Rewards, and Roles for AI in Relationship Advice. Tseng, E., Liang, C. A. (2026). In Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
Community Advisory Boards for Technology Design in HCI: Lessons from Trans and Queer Research. Liang, C. A., Brewster, K. Macapagal, K., Haimson, O. L. (2026). In Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
Reimagining Participatory Agile Development in Community-Industry Partnerships. Liang, C. A., Tseng E.*, Fetterolf, E., Gray, M. (2026). In Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
Embracing four tensions in human-computer interaction research with marginalized people. Liang, C. A., Munson, S. A., & Kientz, J. A. (2021). ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction (TOCHI), 28(2), 1-47.
Surveillance, stigma & sociotechnical design for HIV. Liang, C., Hutson, J. A., & Keyes, O. (2020). First Monday, 25(10). https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v25i10.10274
Designing An Online Sex Education Resource for Gender-Diverse Youth. Calvin A. Liang, Katie Albertson, Florence Willians, David Inwards-Breland, Sean A. Munson, Julie A. Kientz, Kym Ahrens. 2020. Interaction Design and Children 2020 (IDC ‘20), June 21-24.
Supporting Collaborative Reflection on Personal Values and Health. Berry, A. B., Lim, C. Y., Liang, C. A., Hartzler, A. L., Hirsch, T., Ferguson, D. M., ... & Ralston, J. D. (2021). Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 5(CSCW2), 1-39.
Personal Data and Power Asymmetries in U.S. Collegiate Sports Teams. S Kolovson, CA Liang, SA Munson, K Starbird. PACM Human-Computer Interaction 2020; 4.
Engaging Teenagers in Asynchronous Remote Groups to Design for Stress Management. Arpita B, Calvin Liang, Emily Y Zeng, Kanishk Shukla, Miguel Rios Wong, Sean A. Munson, and Julie A. Kientz. 2019. Interaction Design and Children 2019 (IDC '19), June 12-15. Boise, ID. (PDF) (Auxiliary materials)