Before Derusha Baskaran joined the inaugural class of the Human Computer Interaction (HCI) professional master’s degree program, she was an after school elementary teacher, who had to make the switch to remote teaching at the start of the pandemic. Her research in finding ways to make technology accessible for all of her students during the pandemic soon turned into an interest for UX and a passion for designing technology through a sociological lens. She is currently working on an independent study where she’s researching the relationship between non-playable characters and player experience in video games.
Tell me about what you were doing prior to joining the HCI program and why you chose UC Santa Cruz?
Before I applied to the program, it was the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and everything was just starting to transition to the remote world. I was working at my local after school learning center, teaching elementary school-aged children English and math and assisting them with their homework. With COVID, our learning center had to make the transition to remote teaching and learning. I still enjoyed the work because I had already established connections with my students and their families, but I soon found that teaching young children solely online was difficult. Their attention spans were limited and it was an entirely new way of learning for them. I realized I had to adjust my teaching style.
I’ve always been very tech-oriented, so I started doing research on how I could design online teaching lessons that catered to my students better and how I could provide resources for both the students and their families. I stumbled upon UX and the importance of making technology accessible for everyone. I became interested in that area of design and started looking into graduate programs, which then led me to UC Santa Cruz. Being from the Bay Area and with this program being new, it just seemed like a perfect fit for me.
Tell me about the research you’re working on right now.
I’m currently doing an independent study with another classmate. We’re researching video game non-playable characters (NPC) and players’ emotional attachment to them. We’re still in the early research and design part of the study, but we’re focusing on how players’ interaction with NPCs affect their video game experience.
What’s been your most memorable experience with your cohort?
I really enjoy our seminar course, where guest speakers come to present and chat with us. Not all of the speakers are designers, but they are related to the UX/HCI industry in some way, such as researchers, managers, and Ph.D. students. The guest speakers join us from various companies like Amazon and Google and smaller start-ups. It’s really interesting to see how diverse the field is, and it’s fun to hear the speakers’ stories and what advice they have for us.
What are you hoping to take away from the program as you graduate and embark on your professional career?
One thing would be to explore the different avenues of HCI. I initially came into the program thinking I wanted to be a UX designer, but now that I’ve taken a few courses and gotten into 3D building, it’s made me realize I should continue exploring the vast opportunities within this field.
What kind of career are you looking to pursue after the program ends?
I would say there are three different areas I am interested in right now. Industry-wise I can see myself as a UX or product designer. I’d like to be involved in the project lifecycle and see the product through from beginning to end. I could also see myself working in academia as a professor. I’d be able to build from my teaching background. I am also keeping my options open in terms of continuing my education into a Ph.D. program. A personal goal I have for myself is to continue being an advocate for diversity and inclusion. I want to support the recruitment and retainment efforts for underrepresented communities in HCI and other STEM fields.
What’s something you like to do in your free time?
I like to cook. One of my favorite things to do is blend different regions and cultures of food together when I cook and bake. A lot of the food I cook is a fusion between western and eastern Asia and Asia and America. It’s always fun to have people from different backgrounds try my food because it inspires me to continue trying different fusions and creating new recipes.
Interview Date: 2/17/2022