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

Interactive Art

Fabric Peacing

Threads of Memory, Light, and Hope

Fabric Peacing is a multimedia quilt installation that combines traditional textile craft with animated projection to reflect on memory, loss, and the urgent need for peace. The quilt, designed by Dana Jones, features six paper cranes inspired by the story of Sadako Sasaki, a young girl who developed leukemia after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Following a Japanese legend, Sadako folded paper cranes in hopes of healing—believing that folding 1,000 could grant a wish. Her story, shared in Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, has become a lasting symbol of peace and resilience.

Over the quilt, projections trace the cranes’ outlines in motion—suggesting energy, flight, and transformation. These fleeting lights bring the stillness of the fabric to life, echoing the artist’s own longing to create peace for herself and others. This work invites viewers to consider what peace means, who gets to experience it, and how we can protect it for all.

Projects

Teaching

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