Curriculum Vitae (For PDF version, click here)
Aleksandra Sarcevic School of Communication and Information (SC&I) Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey 4 Huntington Street New Brunswick, NJ 08901 USA E-mail: aleksarc [@] rutgers dot edu Web: http://comminfo.rutgers.edu/~aleksarc/
Education | Research | Work | Publications |Talks | Teaching | Awards | Grants | Professional Activities | Skills
Education
PhD, Communication, Information and Library Studies, October 2009 SC&I, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ Major: Information Science; Minor: Cognitive Sciences Advisor: Dr. Michael E. Lesk G. P. A.: 3.98 (out of 4.0) Dissertation Title: Understanding Teamwork in Trauma Resuscitation Through an Analysis of Team Errors
MLIS, Library and Information Science, January 2005 SC&I, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ G. P. A.: 4.0 (out of 4.0)
Bachelor of Arts, Film and TV Production, September 2001 University of Arts, Belgrade, Serbia G. P. A.: 9.43 (out of 10.00) Thesis Title: New Trends in Documentary Film Production – Pitching Projects
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Research Experience
Graduate Research Assistant, Rutgers University, December 2001 – June 2009 School of Communication and Information (SC&I), New Brunswick, NJ Center for Advanced Information Processing (CAIP), Piscataway, NJ
	Developing Technology to Support Complex Work of Trauma Teams Advisors: Michael Lesk (SC&I), Ivan Marsic (CAIP), and Randall S. Burd, MD (CNMC) January 2006 – present This collaborative research effort jointly conducted by the faculty from Rutgers University and trauma surgeons from UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ and Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, DC, aims to improve information flow and decision-making efficiency during trauma resuscitation by providing an integrated information capture and display system. My role includes: Conducting ethnographic research and cognitive work analysis at a regional, Level 1 trauma center: designing user studies, videotaping and observing trauma resuscitations, running focus groups and conducting interviews with trauma team members. Data analysis includes transcribing videotaped trauma resuscitations, interviews, and focus groups; developing coding and transcription schemes, and coding transcribed materials; performing error, task, and information flow analysis. Translating results of this research into design recommendations and design principles; writing reports and research papers, and presenting results to engineers and medical staff on our research team.
	Finding Happiness: Indexing Emotions in Digital Video Advisor: Michael E. Lesk (SC&I) January 2004 – December 2005 In this research project, we proposed a novel way of searching large video data collections semi-automatically for instances of people expressing emotions. Co-authored (Co-PI) research proposal to NSF to develop a multimodal user interface to help people formulate queries for abstract concepts (e.g., emotions) in large video databases. Conducted user studies to find the strengths and weaknesses of different user interface techniques for specifying emotional queries. Journal paper currently under review.
	HITIQA: High-Quality Interactive Question Answering Advisor: Paul B. Kantor (SC&I) February – July 2004 This research project focused on developing techniques and tools for evaluating interactive question-answering (QA) systems. Conducted evaluation of the HITIQA system and helped prepare training materials for online workshops with intelligence analysts.
	Slow Tetris: Collaboration across Heterogeneous Computer Platforms Advisors: Marilyn M. Tremaine and Ivan Marsic (CAIP) December 2001 – July 2004 This project examined issues in synchronous collaboration across dissimilar computer platforms by employing collaborative games. Helped design (experiment procedure, questionnaires, etc.) and run extensive user studies to determine the effects of computing platform differences on collaboration. Experiments involved subjects training and experimental sessions over the course of several months. Helped with quantitative and qualitative data analysis, and with design recommendations to remedy the negative effects of platform diversity on people’s collaboration. As a result of this research, co-authored a journal paper published in the ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction (TOCHI) in December 2004.
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Work Experience
Intern, Google, Inc. (Seattle/Kirkland, WA), May – August 2008 User Experience Research Hosts: Carolyn Wei, Marcos Nunes-Ueno Designed and conducted a multiple-method, out-of-box user experience study (OOBE) to learn about first time users and their experiences when using a Google product. Developed study and diary protocols. Worked closely with engineering team and designers to ensure success of the user study. Moderated remote studies in usability lab. Analyzed data collected through interviews and diaries. Created user profiles. Wrote a report and presented results. Designed and conducted a pre-launch usability study to learn about usability issues and gauge user satisfaction with a Google product. Developed study protocols. Worked closely with engineering team and designers to ensure success of the user study. Moderated studies in usability lab. Performed data analysis. Wrote a report and presented results.
Intern, Google, Inc. (Mountain View, CA), May – August 2007 User Experience Research Hosts: Hilary B. Hutchinson, Anne Aula, Laura Granka Planned and designed a usability study to conduct a post-launch testing of Google search properties. Moderated studies in usability lab. Employed eye-tracking methodology. Performed data analysis and presented results. Planned and designed a diary and field study to investigate users’ online and off-line search behaviors. Analyzed a large public survey on segmenting information and communication technology users and adapted it to create Google survey to recruit study participants. Developed diary and field study protocols. Recruited participants and interviewed them in their homes. Analyzed data collected through diaries, interviews, and search logs. Created search use cases. Wrote a report and presented results.
Intern, SIEMENS Corporate Research, Inc. (Princeton, NJ), July – August 2005 User Interface Design Center (UIDC) Host: James Lin Helped design an in-room handheld control for Siemens’ new linear accelerator system. Employed the principles of contextual design with the emphasis on contextual inquiry. Observed and interviewed radiation therapists and physicists as they were treating cancer patients; performed follow-up data analysis and created business use cases for the intended users of the in-room control. Worked on market requirements specification, design requirements specification and evaluation, and comparative study of current consumer and medical handheld designs.
Intern, SIEMENS Corporate Research, Inc. (Princeton, NJ), July – August 2004 User Interface Design Center (UIDC) Host: James Lin Designed and conducted competitive usability testing of four kitchen appliances (ovens). Fifty users were tested over the course of three weeks. Worked on a qualitative data analysis (coding of interviews), statistical analysis of results from the task-solving parts of the study; helped in preparing report for the client.
Research Fellow, Battelle Memorial Institute (Richland, WA), June 2004 Advanced Research and Development Activity (ARDA) Advisors: Emile Morse and Jean Scholtz (NIST), Paul B. Kantor (SC&I) A three-week evaluation workshop of four leading-edge QA systems with eight military intelligence analysts. My role included: Facilitated experimental sessions, observed (naturalistic observation method) analysts while they searched, and conducted post-experiment interviews with analysts about their experiences using different systems. Post-workshop work included transcribing interviews and qualitative data analysis (coding). As a result, developed a taxonomy of what intelligence analysts value in QA systems.
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Publications
Refereed Journal Articles
Sarcevic, A., Marsic, I., Burd, R. S. (In preparation). Teamwork errors in trauma resuscitation. To be submitted to ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction. Velez, M. C., Tremaine, M., Sarcevic, A., Dorohonceanu, B., Krebs, A., and Marsic, I., "Who’s in Charge Here?: Communicating Across Unequal Computer Platforms,"ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction, vol. 11, no. 4, pp. 407-444, December 2004.
Refereed Conference Papers
Sarcevic, A. and Burd, R. S., "Information handover in time-critical work," in Proceedings of the ACM 2009 International Conference on Supporting Group Work (GROUP 2009), pp. 301-310, Sanibel Island , Florida, May 10-13, 2009. Sarcevic, A., Marsic, I., Lesk, M. E., and Burd, R. S., "Transactive memory in trauma resuscitation," in Proceedings of the ACM 2008 Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW 2008), pp. 215-224, San Diego, CA, November 8-12, 2008. [Acceptance rate 23%] Sarcevic, A. and Burd, R. S., "What’s the story? Information needs of trauma teams," in Proceedings of the American Medical Informatics Association 2008 Annual Symposium (AMIA 2008), pp. 641-645, Washington, DC, November 8-12, 2008. [Acceptance rate 20%] Sarcevic, A., "Human-information interaction in time-critical settings: Information needs and use in the emergency room," in Proceedings of the 70th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T 2007), vol. 44, issue 1, 15 pages, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, October 18-25, 2007. Tremaine, M., Sarcevic, A., Wu, D., Velez, M. C., Dorohonceanu, B., Krebs, A., and Marsic, I., "Size Does Matter in Computer Collaboration: Heterogeneous Platform Effects on Human-Human Interaction," in Proceedings of the 38th Hawaiian International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS-38), 10 pages, Waikoloa, Big Island, Hawaii, January 3-6, 2005.
Refereed Short Conference Papers, Workshop and Miscellaneous Publications
Sarcevic, A., “A study of collaborative information behavior in trauma resuscitation,” presented at the Collaborative Information Behavior (CIB) Workshop at the ACM GROUP 2009, Sanibel Island, Florida, May 10, 2009. Sarcevic, A., "Understanding teamwork in high-risk domains through analysis of errors," in Proceedings of the ACM SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 2009): Extended Abstracts, pp. 4651-4656, Boston, Massachusetts, April 4-9, 2009. Tinti, M. S., Sarcevic, A., Marsic, I., Hammond, J. S., and Burd, R. S., “Quantifying error types, attribution and timing in trauma resuscitation,” in Proceedings of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma 67th Annual Meeting, Session IV, Poster # SI-76 (page 76), October 2008. Online at: http://www.aast.org/AnnualMeeting/dynamic.aspx?id=920 Sarcevic, A., Lesk, M. E., Marsic, I., and Burd R. S., "Quantifying adaptation parameters for information support of trauma teams," in Proceedings of the ACM SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 2008): Extended Abstracts, pp. 3303-3308, Florence, Italy, April 5-10, 2008. [Acceptance rate 38%] Sarcevic, A., "Collaborative processes in trauma teams," presented at the Doctoral Consortium, ACM GROUP ’07, article no. 11, 2 pages, Sanibel Island, Florida, November 4-7, 2007. Sarcevic, A. and Lesk, M. E., "Searching for emotional content in digital video," presented at the ACM CHI 2006 Workshop HCI and the Face, Montreal, Canada, April 22-27, 2006. Online at: http://www.bartneck.de/workshop/chi2006/
Technical Reports
Velez, M. C., Tremaine, M., Dorohonceanu, B., Krebs, A., Sarcevic, A., and Marsic, I., “Who's in Charge Here?: Communicating Across Unequal Computer Platforms,” CAIP Technical Report (CAIP-TR-265), Rutgers University, June 2002. Online at: http://www.caip.rutgers.edu/disciple/Publications/CAIP-TR-265.pdf
Dissertation
Sarcevic, A., “Understanding Teamwork in Trauma Resuscitation Through an Analysis of Team Errors.” Committee: Michael Lesk, Marilyn Tremaine, Jeffrey Robinson, James Lin. School of communication and Information, Rutgers University.
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Presentations & Invited Talks
Sarcevic, A., “Understanding teamwork in trauma resuscitation through an analysis of team errors,” presentation at the DCOG-HCI Lab meeting, University of California at San Diego, October 21, 2009. Sarcevic, A., “Understanding teamwork in trauma resuscitation through an analysis of team errors,” presentation at the L3D (The Center for Lifelong Learning and Design) weekly meeting, University of Colorado at Boulder, October 14, 2009. Sarcevic, A., “Transactive memory in trauma resuscitation,” presentation at the LIS Brown Bag Lunches, SC&I, Rutgers University, October 23, 2008. Sarcevic, A., “Teamwork in highly dynamic scenarios: Insights and technology design implications,” invited presentation at the UsabilityNJ Monthly Meeting (hosted by Siemens Corporate Research, Princeton, NJ), April 23, 2008 Sarcevic, A. and Lesk, M., "Human-Information Interaction in Dynamic & Time-Critical Settings: Collaboration in Trauma Centers," LIS Research Showcase 2007, SC&I, Rutgers University, May 9, 2007. Sarcevic, A., “Finding happiness: Interfaces for searching emotions in digital video,” invited Tech Talk at Google Inc., New York, NY, July 10, 2006. Tremaine, M. and Sarcevic, A., "Collaboration Hypotheses: Slow Tetris," demo presentation at the ACM International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI ‘04), Vienna, Austria, April 24-29, 2004. Correa, C., Dorohonceanu, B., Sarcevic, A., Tremaine, M., and Velez. M. C., “A study on the impact of heterogeneous platforms on collaboration patterns and performance,” presentation at the Interfaces for Mobile Devices Workshop at the 20th HCIL Annual Symposium & Open House, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, May 29, 2003.
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Teaching Experience
Instructor, Rutgers University, Spring 2007, Fall 2007, Spring 2008 Human Information Behavior [17:610:510] In this Master’s level course, students learn, read original research, discuss, and write about the practice, study and theory of human information behavior. I developed course materials, lectures, and class assignments; gave weekly lectures, facilitated class discussions, advised students, and graded assignments and research papers. Teaching Assistant, Rutgers University, Fall 2006 Principles of Searching [17:610:530] Instructor: Stew Mohr In this Master’s level course, students learn about the principles and practices associated with searching of a variety of information resources, structure of resources relevant to searching, information retrieval (IR) models, and search strategies for effective searching, and presentation and evaluation of search results. I provided assistance in facilitating laboratory exercises using a variety of resources from vendors, the web, and digital libraries. I also graded weekly assignments, mid-term and final exams.
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Academic Awards, Honors & Scholarships
Distinguished Achievement as a Teaching Assistant, awarded on December 5, 2007 by the Department of Library and Information Science, SC&I GROUP Doctoral Consortium travel & support grant, November 2007 SC&I Alumni Association Scholarship, Rutgers University, May 2004 LIS Endowment Fund Scholarship, Rutgers University, May 2004 SC&I LIS Scholarship, Rutgers University, December 2003
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Grants, Contracts, and Gifts
National Science Foundation. "HCC: Small: Collaborative Research: Assessing Technology Requirements For Preventing Teamwork Errors in Safety-Critical Settings" [IIS-0915871], PI Michael E. Lesk, Co-PI Ivan Marsic and Co-PI Aleksandra Sarcevic. 2009-2012: $348,091. Collaborative with IIS-0915899 and IIS-0915812. National Science Foundation. “SGER: Finding Happiness: Indexing Emotions in Digital Video” [IIS-0441172], PI Michael E. Lesk and Co-PI Aleksandra Sarcevic. 2004: $58,530 Siemens Corporate Research. Support for Finding Happiness project. PI Michael Lesk and Co-PI Aleksandra Sarcevic. 2008: $30,000
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Professional Activities
Conference Referee
ACM CHI: International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (2007-2010) ACM CSCW: International Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work (2010) HICSS: Hawaiian International Conference on System Sciences (2005) ACM GROUP: International Conference on Supporting Group Work (2003)
Memberships
Member of Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Member of American Society for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T)
Student Volunteer
ACM CHI: International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (2004)
University Service
Vice President, SC&I Doctoral Students Association (2008-2009) Member, Search Committee for Dean of SC&I, Rutgers University (2007-2008)
Mentoring
Renee Dutta (SC&I, Rutgers University, MLIS Student, 2007-2008). Information Needs and Information-Seeking Behavior in Developing Countries. Resulted in a journal article in International Information and Library Review (March 2009).
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Computer Skills
User Tools: MS Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, Access), Adobe Creative Suite 3 (Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Flash) Programming Languages: HTML, Python Video Editing: Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Studio 2 Statistical Packages: SPSS Usability Software: OVO Logger 4.1, Tobii Eye Tracker
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