Hi! I am Michele.

Librarian, Musician, Teacher, Gamer

I am a doctoral candidate in the Information School at the University of Washington advised by Dr. Jin Ha Lee and Dr. Jason Yip. I am a member of the UW Gamer Group and the Digital Youth Lab working with KidsTeamUW and KidsTeam Seattle Public Libraries. I hold an MLIS from the University of Denver and a MMus in Music Theory from Indiana University, Bloomington. Along with my research, I’m also a musician and avid gamer, passions that often weave their way into my scholarly pursuits!

Download my CV!

What I do

My research investigates how creative digital content shapes cultural memory and collective narratives. I explore how communities organize and make sense of this content through user-led classification systems that often challenge conventional approaches to knowledge organization. In parallel, I develop ethical, participatory strategies for preserving digital media that respect the context, creativity, and evolving significance of the work. Together, these threads inform a broader commitment to understanding how digital platforms, creative practices, and sociotechnical infrastructures intersect in the production, organization, and preservation of cultural knowledge. My key areas of interest are:

  • Knowledge Organization
  • Digital Preservation
  • User Focused Design
  • Digital Cultural Production
  • Music Information Retrieval
  • Digital Literacy

A Few Highlights

While I am lucky to be able to work on a lot of projects. I have highlighted a few below!

Understanding Kids, AI, and Creativity

AI has increasingly become a talking point in todays world, our paper for CHI '24 explored children's experiences using AI for creative purposes, seeking to understand how it could help them feel more creative.

Particpatory Media and Game Preservation

Preserving video games has been a challenge, especially with the increasing amount of games each year. Our paper for ASIS&T '24 looks at the possibilities of YouTube content as a possible supplement for other forms of game preservation.

Co-Designing Games for Misinformation in Libraries

Over the past two years, we have worked with Seattle Public Library to develop a set of games to help children understand misinformation.