top of page

I am currently Director of Data Visualization Research at the Roux Institute, Northeastern University. My research focuses on empowering people to do more with data, through the design and evaluation of novel visualization techniques and human-data interactions. In my previous role at Tableau Software, I managed an applied user research team and conducted research in natural language interaction with visualizations, ultimately commercialized as Tableau’s Ask Data feature. Before that, I worked as a faculty member in visualization at the University of Victoria, where I explored topics such as collaborative visualization and personal visual analytics.

melanie900x890_2x.jpg

RESEARCH TOPICS

​

  • Natural language interaction. At Tableau I explored how natural language can facilitate having a conversation with your data as part of the cycle of visual analysis.

  • Collaborative analytics. I am exploring novel tools and techniques to support collaborative data analysis, including team coordination and communication.

  • Broadening the Reach. How can we engage a broader audience to ask and answer questions with visual analytics?

​

bottom of page