Kaisa Väänänen-Vainio-Mattila
Kaisa
  • Professor Kaisa Väänänen-Vainio-Mattila
  • Human-Centered Technology (IHTE)
    Tampere University of Technology
    Address:
    Korkeakoulunkatu 6, P.O. Box 589, 33101 Tampere, Finland
    Tel: +358-40-849 0731
    Email: kaisa.vaananen-vainio-mattila (at) tut.fi

PROFESSIONAL BRIEF

Since 2004, I am a full-time professor of usability in Tampere University of Technology (TUT). I lead the unit of Human-Centered Technology (IHTE), an interdisciplinary group of 30 researchers and research assistants. IHTE is located in the department of Software Systems at TUT, and we cooperate closely with Tampere Unit of Computer-Human Interaction (TAUCHI) in University of Tampere. We have research projects on a broad spectrum of topics, including user experience of mobile services, user-driven innovation, mobile mixed reality, and user-centered design and evaluation methods. We work closely with industrial partners and cooperate frequently with researchers from other interdisciplinary research groups. My teaching focuses on usability, user experience and user-centered product and service development. I work actively in the international research forum, especially in the mobile HCI community.

Before my full-time professorship in TUT, I worked in various internal consultancy and research management positions in Nokia, Inc. in 1995-2004 (see my CV). I also held a part-time professorship in TUT during years 2000-2004. Before that, in years 1991-1995 I worked as a researcher in Computer Graphics Center in Darmstadt, Germany. I finished my PhD (Dr.-Ing.) degree in Technical University of Darmstad in 1995. Before that, I enjoyed my studies of software engineering in Technical University of Helsinki (1983-1991), artificial intelligence in University of Minnesota (1988-89) and Human-Computer Interaction in University of London (1989-1990).

In 2011, I was working part-time with Mobile Life Centre @ Stockholm University, enabled by Nokia Foundation's Visiting professor grant.

I have also worked with Nokia Inc. in 1995-2004 and as a part-time visiting professor at Nokia Research Center on design and evaluation of user experience in 2008-2010.

My research interests cover, but are not limited to:

Since 2009, I am in the editorial board of Interacting with Computers journal (IwC) published by Elsevier.

In 2012, I am the Special Interest Group (SIG) Chair of CHI'12, General Chair of EuroHaptics 2012 in Tampere, Finland (June 12-15th) and Technical Chair for Mobile and Ubiquitous Multimedia (MUM'12) in Essen, Germany (December 10-13th).

I am a co-organiser of the CHI'12 workhop on Theories Behind UX Research and How They are Used in Practice.

PERSONAL BRIEF

I live with my family in Pirkkala which is a small town (well, a village :-) near Tampere, Finland. With my husband we have two children, Samuel (born 1999) and Helena (2003). During my free time, I do sports (biking, gym, running), take the kids to their hobbies, and meet up with friends.