Lydia Stamato

Photo of Lydia Stamato

Masters Alumna

What was your background before entering the HCC program?
I have an eclectic background, most recently working as a research coordinator for an international study investigating gender norms and health outcomes.

What was your favorite class and why?
My favorite class was HCC 760, Human-Computer Interaction, with Dr. Hamidi. The passion and commitment behind the landmark readings, elucidated in our student-led discussions, was contagious. It also helped me situate the independent research I was working on at the time.

What are you doing now?
I am excited to join the Designing pARticipatory futurEs (DARE) lab at UMBC as a PhD student in the HCC program.

What did you like best about the HCC program at UMBC?
A very basic but important aspect for me was the balanced and interdisciplinary curriculum, which equipped me with the information I needed to figure out where my interests lay early on. But most of all, I appreciate the supportive culture shared by faculty, staff, and students, where it is safe to try new things and people help each other.