UMSI alumnus Ben Zhang earns 2026 ACM SIGCHI Outstanding Dissertation Award

University of Michigan School of Information alumnus Ben Zhang has earned a 2026 ACM SIGCHI Outstanding Dissertation Award. The award recognizes exceptional doctoral research in the field of human-computer interaction. 

Zhang graduated with a PhD in Information with a graduate certificate in Science and Technology Studies from UMSI in 2025. Currently an assistant professor in the Department of Technology, AI and Society at Stony Brook University’s College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Zhang’s work at UMSI shaped his current research and career path. 

“This award would not have been possible without the generous support of my PhD advisors, the guidance of my committee members, the collaboration and insight of my interlocutors and collaborators, and the supportive intellectual community at UMSI,” he says. “My time at UMSI was foundational to my development as a researcher and to how I approach my current role as a faculty member.”

Zhang’s dissertation studies how data becomes valuable in the systems that power artificial intelligence. Instead of focusing only on the deployment of technology, his research examines the people, labor and institutions behind AI infrastructures and data systems. His PhD advisers were UMSI associate professor Oliver Haimson and UMSI assistant professor Michaelanne Thomas. 

Through the UMSI Information PhD program and the Science, Technology and Society graduate certificate program, Zhang developed the theoretical and methodological approaches he needed to study technology through a human-centered and interdisciplinary lens.

“UMSI prepared me not only as a researcher, but also as a teacher, mentor and contributor to academic service,” he says. “I’m deeply grateful to the faculty and staff who created an environment that encouraged intellectual curiosity and generosity. That experience continues to shape how I show up today as a faculty member at Stony Brook University.” 

In his current role at Stony Brook University, Zhang continues to build on the themes of his dissertation by examining how AI infrastructures are reshaping areas like healthcare, work and finance, and how these sociotechnical systems can both reproduce and challenge existing inequalities.

Zhang says his experiences at UMSI continue to impact how he approaches his work today. 

“One lesson I continue to carry with me is that excitement about your work, and commitment to it, really matter,” he says. “My time at UMSI also reinforced the value of setting clear goals, staying consistent  and prioritizing self-care. For me, that combination of excitement, commitment, consistency and self-care has been essential. Excitement makes the hard parts easier, while commitment and consistency are what make long-term growth possible.” 

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Learn more about UMSI’s PhD in Information program!