Hello! My name is Ashley Del Valle. I am a third-year Ph.D. student in the Media Art and Technology Graduate Program at the University of California Santa Barbara. I conduct research in the field of Human-Computer Interaction in the Expressive Computation Lab (ECL) where I am advised by Prof. Jennifer Jacobs. I am currently a recipient of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. 

My research currently focuses on two main areas: Computer Science Education and Computational Craft. I am interested in designing tools, methods, and experiences to engage children with new technologies and pathways that foment creative expression. I aim to share my passion for making and encourage those around me to become life-long learners. Additionally, I investigate how digital fabrication can improve and supplement traditional fiber-crafts methods as well as how traditional crafts can influence the development and application of new digital fabrication tools and techniques. My aim is to empower crafters, makers, and beginners to express their creativity.