“Information is power, and having access to it dissolves barriers. In this space, I will have the opportunity to work alongside government agencies to make their complex applications and systems easier for people in crisis to navigate in order to access the life-saving support they provide.”

Miranda Janan Kharsa is a proud first-generation student and Palestinian-American pursuing a master’s degree in user experience (UX) research and design, human-computer interaction, and social computing at the University of Michigan’s School of Information.

Miranda started on this path during her undergraduate years when she studied psychology and Middle Eastern studies with the desire to make a difference in her communities. Soon after, Miranda completed a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Michigan and worked at a think tank in public policy research. By pursuing graduate study in UX design, Miranda saw an opportunity to use her love of design and art to translate complex information so that communities could truly engage with it. She is known at U-M for both her “resilience and determination” and “academic excellence,” celebrated as a “compassionate and courageous person” and recognized with the U-M School of Information DEI award.

Following her graduation, Miranda plans to use her degree to make access to information more equitable through her work at the intersection of research, design, technology, and government. She reflects, “Information is power, and having access to it dissolves barriers. In this space, I will have the opportunity to work alongside government agencies to make their complex applications and systems easier for people in crisis to navigate in order to access the life-saving support they provide.” Miranda’s ultimate goal is to make it easier for all people to access the support they deserve and need to survive.

CEW+ commends Miranda’s vision for her career in information science and names her an Irma M. Wyman Scholar.