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Information Technology Laboratory / Information Access Division

Visualization and Usability Group

Visualization and Usability Group Staff

We have a multi-discipline team of human factors practitioners, computer scientists and social scientists. To contact the staff members please select their name. Search for publications by staff member.

Kerrianne Buchanan	Kerrianne.Buchanan [at] nist.gov (Kerrianne Buchanan) is a Social Scientist in the Visualization and Usability Group at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). She works on projects seeking to improve human-system interaction by leveraging her background in cognitive and social psychology. Currently she conducts research to support NIST’s Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) and Human-Centered Cybersecurity programs. She has a master’s degree in Applied Cognition in Neuroscience and a Ph.D. in Psychological Sciences from the University of Texas at Dallas.
Credit: Yee-Yin Choong	yee-yin.choong [at] nist.gov (Yee-Yin Choong) is a Human Factors Scientist in the Visualization and Usability Group at NIST. She conducts research on human factors and usability aspects of human-technology interactions in the fields of online security and privacy with a focus on youth and parents, artificial intelligence (AI), public safety communication technology, and biometrics usability. Prior to joining NIST in 2006, she practiced human factors and usability engineering in e-commerce in the private sector for 10 years. Yee-Yin received her M.S. in Industrial Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University and her Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering with a specialization in Human Factors, from Purdue University.
Credit: Clyburn Cunningham IV	clyburn.cunningham [at] nist.gov (Clyburn Cunningham IV )is a Computer Scientist in the Visualization and Usability Group (VUG) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Clyburn applies his programming skills to provide software engineering support for VUG projects. Previously, he worked as a full stack developer building a contact-tracing analytic for Georgetown University and as a high performance computing research intern at Los Alamos National Lab. Clyburn earned his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with a focus in cybersecurity and mathematics from Georgetown University.
Credit: Shanée Dawkins	shanee.dawkins [at] nist.gov (Shaneé Dawkins) is a Computer Scientist in the Visualization and Usability Group at NIST. She performs research focusing on human centered design and evaluation as part of the Human-Centered Cybersecurity program, where she leads the phishing project. Shanée earned her M.S. and Ph.D. in Computer Science at Auburn University, and her B.S. in Computer Engineering at North Carolina A&T State University.
	kurtis.goad [at] nist.gov (Kurtis Goad) is a student trainee in the Visualization and Usability Group at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Kurtis Goad is a Master’s student at George Mason University studying Human Factors and Applied Cognition. He has professional experience in Usability/User Experience, Behavior Analytics, and Psychological Research.
Credit: Afzal Godil	afzal.godil [at] nist.gov (Afzal Godil) is a researcher in the Visualization and Usability Group of the Information Technology Laboratory at National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) where he has been for over 26 years. Prior to that, he has worked at the NASA Langley and Lewis Research Centers as a contractor. His main focus in research and development is in the area of video analytics, AI/ML evaluations, shape analysis and retrieval, computer vision, computational methods, graphics/visualization, digital human modeling and machine learning. He has published over 125 publications in different journals, books, and conferences with over 3800 citations. He has project leadership and management experience.
Credit: Kristen Greene	kristen.greene [at] nist.gov (Kristen Greene) is a Cognitive Scientist in the Visualization and Usability Group at NIST. She conducts usability and human factors research for NIST’s PSCR (Public Safety Communications Research) and usable cybersecurity programs. She has an M.A. and Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from Rice University. She is an experienced researcher, having conducted research in the Attention and Perception Laboratory at the University of South Carolina, the Usability Testing and Analysis Facility at NASA Johnson Space Center, the Computer Human Interaction Laboratory at Rice University, and now the Information Technology Laboratory at NIST.
	julie.haney [at] nist.gov (Julie Haney) is a Computer Scientist in the Visualization and Usability Group at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. She leads the NIST Human-Centered Cybersecurity Program and conducts research about the human element of cybersecurity and privacy. Previously she spent over 20 years working at Department of Defense as a cybersecurity professional and technical leader. She earned a Ph.D. in Human-Centered Computing from University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She has a B.S. in Computer Science from Loyola University Maryland and an M.S. in Computer Science from University of Maryland.
Credit: Jody Jacobs	jody.jacobs [at] nist.gov (Jody Jacobs) is a Computer Scientist in the Visualization and Usability Group at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Her research interests include user susceptibility to phishing attacks, security adoption, and security awareness. Previously she spent over 20 years working in the private sector in security networking, network and systems operations, and business continuity. She was a member of the NIST FISMA team, which produces security standards and guidelines required by Congressional legislation. She has a B.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Rochester and an M.S. in Information Systems from Strayer University.
Credit: Theodore Jensen	theodore.jensentheodore.jensen [at] nist.govnist.gov (Theodore Jensen) is a Computer Scientist in the Visualization and Usability Group at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Ted conducts research on human-AI interaction and human perceptions of AI. He received his Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Connecticut, where his research focused on human-automation trust and anthropomorphism.
Credit: Kevin Mangold	kevin.Mangold [at] nist.gov (Kevin Mangold) Kevin Mangold works as a Computer Scientist at the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Currently, Kevin is investigating how virtual and augmented reality technologies can be leveraged by the public safety community. His primary focus is researching the usability impact of integrating these technologies into the lives of first responders. Formerly, he was an active member of the OASIS Technical Advisory Board (TAB). He was an active participant in ISO/IEC JTC 1 SC 37 and INCITS M1, where he started by serving as a data structure expert, project editor, and a US Head of Delegation. Kevin served as the Acting Chair of JTC 1/SC 37. He served as co-chair for the OASIS Biometric Identity Assurance Services (BIAS) TC and the OASIS Biometric Services TC. He is the recipient of the 2015 ANSI Next Generation Award and the 2014 IEC Young Professionals Award by the USNC.
Detailees, Guest Researchers & Students
Credit: Charlotte (Charlie) Healy	charlotte.healy [at] nist.gov (Charlotte (Charlie) Healy) is a qualitative researcher working with the Visualization and Usability Group at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) through the Professional Research Experience Program (PREP) program. She is currently a Ph.D. Candidate in Education Policy and Leadership at the University of Maryland, College Park. She specializes in qualitative research about parental advocacy in special education and special education placement decisions. Previously she spent several years in South Carolina as a 6th grade teacher. She has a M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning from Clemson University and a B.S. in Education from Furman University.
Credit: Lorenzo Neil	neil.lorenzo [at] nist.gov (Lorenzo Neil) is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Computer Science at North Carolina State University. His research areas involve usable security with a focus on security advice analysis, and his dissertation research focuses on the quality and coverage of important security topics within security advice. At NIST, Lorenzo works on projects analyzing cybersecurity definitions for non-experts, as well as the influence of observable characteristics within phishing emails. He is a NIST Graduate Student Measurement Science and Engineering Fellow in the Visualization and Usability Group.
Important Collaborators
Credit: Mary Theofanos	mary.theofanos [at] nist.gov (Mary Theofanos) is a Computer Scientist and Sr. Technical Advisor with the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Information Technology Laboratory where she performs research on usability and human factors of systems and, most recently, on diversity and inclusivity. She is currently working as the People Champion for the Communications Technology Laboratory trying to change the cultural diversity and inclusivity landscape at NIST. Mary was the principal architect of the Human-Centered Cybersecurity (previously Usable Cybersecurity) Program evaluating the usability of cyber security. She established the Biometrics Usability Program for the federal government, the first open research program to incorporate usability into biometrics research, elevating usability to a recognized critical component of biometrics research. She began the Public Safety Communications Research usability program and is now working in AI and usability. She has been a longstanding member of the International Organization of Standards (ISO), developing standards in usability and human factors and currently the U.S. Head of Delegation for the Working Group on diversity and women in STEM.

Created April 12, 2021, Updated April 5, 2024