Kate Starbird, an associate professor in the Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering, is recognized in the 54th annual University of Washington Awards of Excellence with the University Faculty Lecture Award. 

Dr. Kate Starbird

Since 1976, the University Faculty Lecture Award has honored current or emeritus faculty whose research, scholarship or art has been widely recognized by their peers and whose achievements have had a substantial impact on their profession, the research or performance of others, and society as a whole. 

Professor Starbird's research is situated within human-computer interaction and the emerging field of crisis informatics — the study of how information-communication technologies are used during crisis events. One aspect of her research focuses on how online rumors spread during natural disasters and man-made crisis events. More recently, she has begun to focus on disinformation and other forms of strategic information operations online. 

In 2019, Starbird co-founded the Center for an Informed Public at UW. The Center’s mission is to "marshal the collective resources of a world-class research university, embedded within local communities, to resist strategic misinformation, promote an informed society, and strengthen democratic discourse.” 

Professor Starbird will be recognized along with the other awardees at the Awards of Excellence Ceremony in June 2024, hosted by UW President Ana Mari Cauce and Provost Tricia Serio. She will also deliver a campus-wide lecture about her research during the 2024-2025 academic year.