Dr. Sehrish Basir Nizamani
Collegiate Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Science, Virginia Tech
Dr. Sehrish Basir Nizamani holds a Ph.D. in Information Technology from the University of Sindh, Pakistan, where she worked on "Usability Evaluation of the websites of higher education institutes of Pakistan." She is currently a Collegiate Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Virginia Tech, where she joined in Fall 2023.
Academically driven educator and researcher with 17+ years of experience across teaching, research, and academic service. Her work blends human–computer interaction, usability and culture, digital education, and natural language processing, with a focus on improving learning and user experience in real contexts.
Research Areas & Interests
Human-Computer Interaction
Focus on usability studies and user-centered design principles in educational and web technologies.
Culture in Usability & Design
Investigating cultural preferences and their impact on website design and user experience across different regions.
Digital Education
Technology acceptance and innovative pedagogical strategies for computer science education at scale.
Natural Language Processing
Applications in text analysis, abusive language detection, and computational linguistics.
Information Systems
Evaluation of enterprise systems and information technology in organizational contexts.
AI & LLMs in Education
Understanding how large language models and AI can support teaching, learning, and usability evaluation.
Teaching
Regular Courses
- CS 3114 — Data Structures & Algorithms
- CS 2104 — Problem Solving in Computer Science
- CS/CMDA/STAT 3654 — Data Analytics & Visualization
- CS 4604 — Introduction to Database Management Systems
Teaching Approach
- Hands‑on, project‑based learning and iterative design
- Inclusive pedagogy with accessibility at the core
- Responsible, reflective use of AI and LLMs in coursework
Undergraduate Research
ENG 2974/4974 — Undergraduate Research/Independent Study
Mentoring students across LLM and HCI, usability, AI-in-education, and database pedagogy.
Selected Publications
Comparison of cultural preferences and cultural practices in website design in Pakistan. Sehrish Nizamani, Saad Nizamani, Nazish Basir, Khalil Khoumbati, Sarwat Nizamani, Shahzad Memon. Universal Access in the Information Society, Springer Nature (Accepted, 2025). DOI: 10.1007/s10209-025-01248-w
Catching UX Flaws in Code: Leveraging LLMs to Identify Usability Flaws at the Development Stage. Nolan Platt, Ethan Luchs, Sehrish Basir Nizamani. Conference paper (Accepted, 2025), Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.
Heuristic Evaluation vs. Guideline Scoring – A Tale of Comparing Two Domain Usability Expert's Evaluation Methods. Sehrish Nizamani, Saad Nizamani, Nazish Basir, Gulsher Laghari, Sarwat Nizamani, Khalil Khoumbati. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 65(4), 2022, 516–529. DOI: 10.1109/TPC.2022.3201732
A methodology for domain and culture-oriented heuristics creation and validation. Sehrish Nizamani, Khalil Khoumbati, Sarwat Nizamani, Shahzad Memon, Saad Nizamani, Gulsher Laghari. Behaviour & Information Technology, 41(8), 2022, 1769–1795. DOI: 10.1080/0144929X.2021.1903080
Usability Evaluation of University Websites in Pakistan through User Testing. Sehrish Nizamani, Saad Nizamani, Sarwat Nizamani, Nazish Basir, Khalil Khoumbati, Shahzad Memon. 2022 International Conference on Emerging Technologies in Electronics, Computing, and Communication (ICETECC), Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan, pp. 1–6. DOI: 10.1109/ICETECC56662.2022.10069383
Service & Leadership
Department & University
- Member, Inclusive Committee, Computer Science (2024–present)
- HCI Qualifier Committee (2025–present)
- Faculty Representative, Administrative Awards Committee (2025–present)
- Graduate Admissions Review
Professional Service
- Chair, ACM CAPWIC (2026)
- Co-Chair, ACM CAPWIC (2025)
- Program Committee & Reviewer for SIGCSE, CAPWIC
- Reviewer, Federal Research Agency (2024)
- Reviewer for national and international journals
Selected Presentations & Invited Talks
- Roundtable: Cross-Disciplinary Strategies for Teaching with AI, Conference on Higher Education Pedagogy (Feb 2025)
- Seminar: Reimagining Cultural Exploration in Human-Computer Interaction, CHCI Weekly Seminar (Feb 2025)
- Workshop: Teaching and Learning in the Age of Generative AI, University of Mirpurkhas (Nov 2024)
- Panelist, New Faculty Welcome 2024, Virginia Tech (Aug 2024)
- Panelist, TechGirls Event (Jul 2024)
- Panelist: Thinking of Graduate School, ACM CAPWIC 2024
Students & Advisees
Ph.D. Students
Khoulood Alharthi
Current doctoral advisee
Undergraduate Research
Summer 2025: 22 students (LLM & HCI), 9 students (DBWorkout)
Spring 2025: 15 students (DBWorkout), 10 students (AI & Usability)
2024: Multiple students in gamification and CS education projects
Contact
Dr. Sehrish Basir Nizamani
Collegiate Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Science
Virginia Tech
2220A Torgersen Hall
620 Drillfield Drive
Blacksburg, VA 24060
Email: sehrishbasir@vt.edu
Phone: +1 (540) 231-1238
Prospective Students
If you are interested in joining the HICE Lab as a graduate or undergraduate researcher, please reach out via email with your CV, research interests, and a brief statement about why you're interested in our work.