- (Accepted, 2025) Sehrish Nizamani et al. Comparison of cultural preferences and cultural practices in website design in Pakistan. Universal Access in the Information Society, Springer Nature.
- Sarwat Nizamani et al. FeelSafe: A Women's Safety and Security System. International Journal of Innovations in Science and Technology, 7(6), 1–11.
- Sehrish Nizamani et al. Heuristic Evaluation vs. Guideline Scoring – A Tale of Comparing Two Domain Usability Expert’s Evaluation Methods. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 65(4), 2022.
Sehrish Basir Nizamani
Collegiate Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science, Virginia Tech
Faculty Affiliate, Center for Human-Computer Interaction · Center for Future Work Places and Practices
About
Academically driven educator and researcher with more than 17 years of experience across teaching, research, and academic service. Work blends human–computer interaction, usability and culture, digital education, natural language processing, and information systems, with a focus on improving learning and user experience in real contexts.
Human–Computer Interaction
Large Language Models
Usability & Culture
Digital Education
NLP
Information Systems
At a glance
- Collegiate Assistant Professor, Computer Science, Virginia Tech (since 2023)
- Courses: CS 3114, CS 2104, CS/CMDA/STAT 3654, CS 4604
- Faculty Affiliate, Center for Human-Computer Interaction
- Faculty Affiliate, Center for Future Work Places and Practices
Research Areas and Interests
Human–computer interaction; usability studies; culture in usability and design; digital education and technology acceptance; natural language processing; information systems.
- Designing and evaluating culture-oriented heuristics for web and learning technologies.
- Understanding how LLMs and AI can support usability evaluation and teaching.
- Evidence-based improvements to learning at scale in computer science courses.
Teaching
Regular courses
- CS 3114 — Data Structures and Algorithms
- CS 2104 — Problem Solving in Computer Science
- CS/CMDA/STAT 3654 — Data Analytics and 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 and independent study
ENG 2974/4974 undergraduate research and independent study, mentoring students across LLM and HCI, usability, AI in education, and database pedagogy.
Selected Publications
Journal articles
Conference papers
- (Accepted, 2025) Sarwat Nizamani et al. Abusive Language Detection from Roman Urdu YouTube Comments. IEEE International Conference on Data-Driven Social Change (ICDDSC-2025).
- (Accepted, 2025) Nolan Platt, Ethan Luchs, Sehrish Basir Nizamani. Catching UX Flaws in Code: Leveraging LLMs to Identify Usability Flaws at the Development Stage.
- Sehrish Nizamani et al. Usability Evaluation of University Websites in Pakistan through User Testing. International Conference on Emerging Technologies in Electronics, Computing, and Communication (ICETECC), 2022.
Grants and Funding
Internal and teaching-related funding
- Startup funds – Virginia Tech, 15,000 USD (Fall 2023).
- New Faculty Mentoring Grant – 1,500 USD (Fall 2023).
- Project-Based Learning funds – CETL, 500 USD (Fall 2023).
- Problem-Based Learning funds – CETL, 500 USD (Fall 2023).
- NSF IUSE Teaching Excellence stipend – 1,000 USD (Spring 2024).
- Teaching in the Age of Generative AI – TLOS, 5,000 USD (Summer 2024).
- Faculty Innovation Group (Large Classroom) – CETL, 1,000 USD (Summer 2024).
- Faculty Innovation Group (Learning Interventions) – CETL, 1,000 USD (Summer 2024).
Recent awards
- Collaborative SQL Tool Grant – TLOS, 5,000 USD (Fall 2024).
- High-Impact Course Redesign – CETL, 10,000 USD (Fall 2025).
- 4-VA Collaborative Research Grant – 30,000 USD (Fall 2025).
Panels, Presentations, and Invited Talks
Recent highlights
- Roundtable: Cross-Disciplinary Strategies for Teaching with AI, Conference on Higher Education Pedagogy (CHEP), February 2025.
- Seminar: Reimagining Cultural Exploration in Human-Computer Interaction, CHCI Weekly Seminar, February 2025.
- Workshop: Teaching and Learning in the Age of Generative AI, University of Mirpurkhas, November 2024.
- Panelist: New Faculty Welcome 2024, The Inn at Virginia Tech, August 2024.
- Panelist: TechGirls Event, July 2024.
Service and Leadership
Department and university
- Member, Inclusive Committee, Computer Science.
- HCI Qualifier Committee.
- Faculty representative, Administrative Awards Committee.
- Graduate admissions review.
Professional
- Chair / Co-Chair, ACM CAPWIC (2026 / 2025).
- Program committee and reviewer for SIGCSE, CAPWIC, and other venues.
- Reviewer for federal research agency proposals.
Research Advising
PhD advising
- Khoulood Alharthi.
Undergraduate research
- Summer 2025 – LLM and HCI (22 students).
- Summer 2025 – DBWorkout (9 students).
- Spring 2025 – DBWorkout (15 students).
- Spring 2025 – AI and usability evaluation (10 students).
- Summer 2024 – Gamifying CS education (2 students).
- Spring 2024 – Gamifying CS education (2 students).
Contact
- Email: sehrishbasir@vt.edu
- Phone: +1 (540) 231-1238
- Office: 2220A Torgersen Hall, 620 Drillfield Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24060
- Zoom: virginiatech.zoom.us/my/sehrishbasir
Additional profiles: VT faculty page, Google Scholar, ORCID, LinkedIn.