Web Science and Digital Libraries Research Group

Figure 1: With my committee after the defense on July 23, 2026. From left: Dr. Michael L. Nelson, me, Dr. Michele C. Weigle and Dr. Vikas Ashok. Dr. Hae-Na Lee joined remotely. In Fall 2019, I moved from Dhaka to Norfolk to begin my PhD in Computer Science at Old Dominion University . I introduced myself in a WS-DL blog post in August 2020 . I came in with a background in machine learning applied to human behavior, from my master's at American International University–Bangladesh and my undergraduate work at East West University . What I wanted from a PhD was to build practical systems that people use, and to study how they use them. In January 2020, I joined Dr. Vikas Ashok 's group, part of the Web Science and Digital Libraries (WS-DL) Research Group in the Department of Computer Science . Dr. Ashok's Human-Centered Computing Lab works on accessible computing: making computing devices usable for people with visual disabilities, so they benefit from the same technologica...

Figure: Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) banner Introduction Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) is a time to reflect, celebrate, and renew our commitment to making sure everyone can access learning and information without physical or digital barriers. This special day highlights the progress and challenges in making digital spaces accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities.  Since 2021, Old Dominion University Libraries have celebrated GAAD with presentations from our Computer Science faculty. This year, ODU Libraries welcome guest speakers Timothy Hackman , dean of the University Libraries , Courtney Gipson, director of ODU’s Office of Educational Accessibility , and Vikas Ashok , Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science .Professor Ashok, who leads the Accessible Computing Lab at ODU, has 12 years of experience in accessible computing research. His lab focuses on making computing devices more accessible for people with visual dis...