HCI Seminar - Sarah Chasins - Domain Experts and the Future of Programming

Abstract:
Programs that shape our daily lives---setting price thresholds for housing voucher programs, the data analysis behind the next medical breakthrough---are being written by non-programmers.  A bug in these settings isn't just about server downtime; bugs harm whole communities.  With programs only a chat away, code feels more accessible to more populations than ever before.  Whether this trend results in more harm or good will come down to one question: How well do programming tools support real domain experts in producing correct programs?

This talk will cover how my lab invents programming tools that make domain experts more capable and their programs more correct.  We'll also chat about why the PL work happening right now will determine whether the next generation sees programming as a path to a more informed and evidence-driven society---or just a way to get wrong answers faster.

Bio:
Sarah E. Chasins is an Assistant Professor at UC Berkeley EECS. Her research focuses on programming languages and program synthesis. She's especially interested in work that brings together programming systems, HCI, and data science. Much of her work is shaped by collaborations with scientists, social scientists, and other non-traditional programmers. She is a Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Investigator.

This talk will also be streamed over Zoom: https://mit.zoom.us/j/96276115091.