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Ellen Simpson, Ph.D.

Ellen Simpson, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Communication

Arts and Sciences — Social Sciences

Education

  • Ph.D., University of Colorado (2024)
  • M.Sc., Royal Holloway, University of London (2018)
  • B.A., University of Vermont

Research Interests

Human Computer Interaction, Social Computing, Computer Supported Cooperative Work, Identity and Identity Work, Creativity, Creative Work, Platform Studies, Platform Decay, User Experience Research, Media Studies, New Media Studies, Information Science

Biography

Ellen began teaching in 2019 at Syracuse University. Subsequently, she taught at the University of Colorado while completing her Ph.D. in Information Science, where she taught several courses at the introductory and advanced levels. After earning her Ph.D. in 2024, Ellen worked in the Sloane Lab at the University of Virginia as a post-doctoral researcher, investigating how AI is integrated into professional practice. Ellen moved to Ketchikan in 2025. At UAS, she teaches courses in communications, such as Public Speaking, Oral Communication, and Introduction to Mass Communication.

When not teaching, Ellen continues her research agenda exploring how routine interaction with sociotechnical systems can shape behavior and impact people’s professional or creative identities. Her recent paper, Infrastructures for Inspiration: The Routine Construction of Creative Identity and Inspiration received an honorable mention at the ACM CHI conference in April ’25.  

Ellen enjoys creative writing. She has published three novels and worked as a screenwriter for a popular YouTube web series. You can find out more about Ellen, her research, and her creative work at her website: https://ellensimpson.github.io/

Ellen Simpson, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Communication

Arts and Sciences — Social Sciences

Ellen Simpson, Ph.D.
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