About Me
How do we impose our values into and onto emerging technologies? How does the redistribution of effort imposed by a tool impact it's usability and utility? How do we design technology to balance reflection and utility?
My name is Mateo and I am a Master's student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who is interested in these sort of questions. My passion for computer science is driven by a fascination of technology and a strong care for others. Throughout my academic journey, I have developed a strong foundation in cybersecurity, philosophy, and social computing.
My goal is to pursue a Ph.D. in Human-Computer Interaction in the Fall of 2026, where I can further explore how technology can be designed to better serve and empower users. I am particularly interested in reintroducing digital friction in sociotechnical systems, and I am eager to join a research group where I can collaborate on impactful projects.
Research Interests
Primary Interest: Impacts of Computing on Society
My primary research interest is how emerging technologies reshape our values.
Secondary Interest: Human-Centered Design
I am also deeply interested in how to design technology to better serve and empower users.
Publications
Campoverde-Fordon, M., & Andersen, B. (2023). "Analysis of LoRaWAN and NB-IoT for Critical and Massive Communication"
In The Seventh International Conference on Safety and Security with IoT (SaSeIoT 2023).
More publications coming soon.
Creative Projects
Outside of my academic research, I enjoy creating digital art and writing that challenges our relationship with technology.
The Doomscroll Machine
In response to descreasing attention spans and the rise of AI, I used AI to create The Doomscroll Machine to demonstrate how easy it is for anyone to exasterbate our problematic relationship with short-form online content. This combines philosophical ideas from Marshall McLuhan ("The medium is the message") and emerging AI technologies (Google Gemini).
The Difficulty Collective
The Difficulty Collective is a series of infographics that describes the benefits of friction and noise in communication and cooperation from a sociotechnical perspective. Drawing from biology, architecture, philosophy, and prior computer science research, I explore the counterintuitive results of an incessant push towards efficiency.
Curriculum Vitae (Soon)
Download CV (PDF)Contact
I am actively seeking Ph.D. opportunities for Fall 2026 and am open to discussing potential research collaborations. Please feel free to reach out.