Leaving her chosen home in the U.S. to move to Europe was not an easy step for the South Korean researcher. However, the interviews during the tenure-track application process convinced her that CISPA was the right place for her and her research. “The questions from the CISPA-Faculty were exciting and relevant. I immediately felt that they saw me for who I am, and that interdisciplinary research is truly valued here,” she summarizes her impressions. “At first, I was a bit worried that my research in human-computer interaction might not be focused enough on security. But that concern disappeared quickly. I realized how many intersections there are between my work and that of other Faculty. The colleagues here are fantastic, and the resources available to Faculty are amazing.”
Rethinking Social Media from the User Perspective
Within human-computer interaction, Im focuses on the design and construction of interactive systems and how people actually use them. “I focus on redesigning social media from the perspective of consent,” she explains. “Consent is a widely discussed topic in security and privacy, but in my PhD, I proposed that we should also look at consent from a feminist perspective. Feminist research shows that people—especially women—experience sexualized violence due to power imbalances. Consent is a concept that’s ultimately about giving those who tend to be vulnerable more agency. I argue that we can apply this logic to technology as well.” Im is not only thinking about new, consent-based system designs. She is also examining the advertising-based business models of existing platforms and exploring alternatives such as subscription models or donation-based funding.
Her Own Lab
Aligned with this goal, Im has named her research group the Real-World Interactions & Systems for Change (RISC) Group. She wants to further develop a project from her dissertation: at the time, she had developed a prototype social media system called MOA, which gives users fain-grained control over who can see their content. “In the long term, I want to develop and run a social media platform myself to conduct large-scale studies,” she explains. She is recruiting research staff to carry out these studies and is also considering hiring a software developer. “Right now, this is still challenging, but I hope it will be possible soon,” she says. Beyond these practical tasks, Im also wants to bring her research findings into political debates, even though this is a new area for her.
Key Interests: Diversity and Equitable Mentorship
Diversity is a societal issue that is very important to Im. She wants to conduct research that gives people more agency, especially those who have little. “I am interested in marginalized groups who have less access to technology. Questions that drive me include: How can we give these groups more agency so they can pursue their goals?” Closely related for her is the design of the mentorship relationship between PhD students and their advisors. “At the University of Michigan, I led initiatives to improve communication between students and faculty,” she says. “This is a topic that is personally important to me. Now, as faculty, my role is obviously different, but I think I can still support PhD students in their careers with my experience.”
Feeling at Home Quickly in Saarland
Im has quickly grown fond of Saarland. “Saarbrücken reminds me a lot of my hometown Seongnam in South Korea: many things are within walking distance, there are great cafés and shops, and there’s a river nearby,” she says. She also appreciates the proximity to France, partly because her sister lives there, making family visits easy. And for her hiking hobby, there are plenty of options nearby. One thing is important to Im: “For me, it’s essential to have a good balance with my work as a researcher to approach tasks with energy and joy.” We can look forward to seeing what Dr. Jane Im will accomplish during her tenure-track phase at CISPA in the coming years.
