Hello!
My name is Ashley Del Valle, and I am the first Puerto Rican woman in my family to pursue a Ph.D. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Business Entrepreneurship from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, and a Master’s degree in Media Arts and Technology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where I am currently a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate. I work in the Expressive Computation Lab (ECL) under the guidance of Prof. Jennifer Jacobs, where I explore how technology can enhance creative expression and material interactions in textile craftsmanship.

My research merges digital fabrication with traditional textiles, proposing innovative solutions at the intersection of craft, design, and engineering.

I am currently seeking summer internship opportunities where I can apply my skills in computational design, digital fabrication, and interdisciplinary collaboration while gaining industry experience to drive innovation in art and technology.

Email | Resume | Instagram | Instructables

Published research

Engaging Young People in the Expressive Opportunities of Digital Fabrication Through Craft Oriented CAM-Based Design

Ashley Del Valle, Mert Toka, and Jennifer Jacobs. 2024. Engaging Young People in the Expressive Opportunities of Digital Fabrication Through Craft-Oriented CAM-Based Design. In Proceedings of the 2024 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference (DIS '24). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, 1162–1176. https://doi.org/10.1145/3643834.3660693

two images placed vertically. The to image showcases the PunchPrint workflow. The bottom image showcases the five artifacts created with PunchPrint.

PunchPrint: Creating Composite Fiber-Filament Craft Artifacts by Integrating Punch Needle Embroidery and 3D Printing

Ashley Del Valle, Mert Toka, Alejandro Aponte, Jennifer Jacobs. 2023. Punch- Print: Creating Composite Fiber-Filament Craft Artifacts by Integrating Punch Needle Embroidery and 3D Printing. In Hamburg ’23: ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, April 23–28, 2023, Ham- burg, Germany. ACM, New York, NY, USA, 15 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/ 3544548.3581298

Residency

image shows a series of knitted swatches displayed in a green board.

Electronic Textile Camp (ETC) 2023

ETC is a ten-day, artists-run residency for creative practitioners working at the intersection of craft, computation, textiles, and electronics to meet, make, and learn together. This residency gave me the space to explore meaningful ways of interacting with textiles and smart wearable devices.

Projects

Harmonizing Crochet and 3D-Printing

In order to produce 3D printed earrings, this project uses a parametric design system in Rhino and Grasshopper. I was able to swiftly iterate on designs to make them appropriate for both 3D printing and crochet.

image shows a comparison between a lace pattern and the 3D printed version of that pattern.

3D-Printed Lace Motifs

In this project, I design delicate 3D printable patterns inspired by tatting. I used Rhino and Grasshopper to generate parametrically lace-like designs or extract a pattern from a lace image.

the image shows a close view of a series of piano keys made out of different types of yarns.

Soft Conductive Crochet Piano

I crochet a series of piano keys using conductive thread and different types of yarn. Each key was connected to a Makey Makey to create an interactive soft Crochet Piano.

Teaching

Summer Institute in Mathematics and Science (SIMS)

Designed and led a research activity introducing incoming undergraduates to opportunities in computational and CAM-based design.

image shows a close up of a series of 3D printed clay artifacts.

Craft, Computer, Hands & Robots

Design and evaluated a curriculum to engage high school students with digital fabrication through a craft-based approach.

this image shows a kid programming in p5.js with a computer.

Exploring Computational Design

Designed and programmed spirograph inspired art in p5.js with elementary student.

image showcases a pen plotter drawing on of the students designs.

Learning to Code Through Art

Design and plotted spirograph inspired art with middle school students.

image shows a circuit made out of a hamburger and hotdog sculpture made of conductive dough.

Exploring Conductive Materials

Created simple circuits using conductive dough with students from elementary to high school in Puerto Rico.

image shows a light up bracelet project with a glowing LED.

Sewing Soft-Circuits

Created soft-circuits using the Lilypad elements with undergraduate students in Puerto Rico.

image shows a close up of the head of a fish and a portrait at at back.

WondeRUM

Designed and set-up an interactive exhibition sharing with the public ways to learn about the sensors and technologies used.

Crafts

crochet blanket and hat	crochet jumper and blanket	I-cord project
crochet baby dress	cute cat flower hat	baby crochet jumper
learning bead looming	Wire-bead necklace	Punch Needle Coaster
Crochet baby dress	Crochet top	Crochet flower bouquet
Stained Glass lamp	Punch Needle coaster	Crochet baby dress
Stained Glass decor	Wire-bead necklace	Crochet earrings
Stained Glass lamp