A professional picture of Ben Jelen with Rose-Hulman's White Chapel in the background.

I’m an Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Software Engineering at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology where I teach human-computer interaction (HCI). I graduated from Indiana University (IU) with a PhD in Health Informatics. My research has been around working with older adults to create with electronics using their crafting skills, but I’m also interested in HCI education and health HCI.

I’m passionate about helping people do things they didn’t know they could do – hence why I’m interested in teaching and spent my PhD supporting older adults to learn to create with maker electronics. I’m always looking to encourage people, especially novices, to explore technology and lower the barriers to doing so. That’s one reason I see electronic toolkits as an excellent way to abstract technical knowledge and engage in technology in a meaningful way.

My PhD work was advised by Dr. Katie Siek in the ProHealth Lab at IU, and my work was supported through the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP). I’m always looking for opportunities to expand my interest in the intersection of older adults, maker technology, health, and education.