Chinasa T. Okolo
I am a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Computer Science at Cornell University, co-advised by Nicki Dell, Bharath Hariharan, and Aditya Vashistha. I came to Cornell after receiving a degree in Computer Science from Pomona College in Spring 2018. After graduating, I completed a summer internship at Microsoft Research in Cambridge, England where I worked in the Biological Computation group, helping to develop computational models and domain-specific computational tools for bacterial quorum sensing. My work has been supported by The National GEM Consortium, Oracle Corporation, NANOG, and Google. I am an affiliate of Mechanism Design for Social Good (MD4SG), the Cornell Center for Health Equity (CCHEq), and the Cornell Center for Social Sciences (CCSS).
As an undergrad, I conducted research at the University of Georgia, Pomona College, Columbia University, and Carnegie Mellon University in fields ranging from computational neuroscience to human-computer interaction. My research interests include explainable AI, global health, information & communication technologies for development, and AI ethics.
My research leverages ethnographic methods to understand how frontline healthcare workers in rural India perceive and value artificial intelligence (AI). I also examine FATE (fairness, accountability, transparency, and explainability) in AI-enabled technologies deployed throughout the Global South, with a focus on healthcare.
I was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri to Nigerian immigrants. I proudly graduated from Lincoln College Preparatory Academy and the KCPS Early College Academy at MCC - Penn Valley, earning both a high school diploma and Associate's degree. For fun, I like to compose songs, update my blog, read intriguing articles, travel the world, and scroll down my Twitter feed.
Here's my approved biography, name pronunciation, and headshot.
I am currently on the job market for industry, nonprofit, government, and academic research positions starting in Fall 2023!