Vikram Kamath

Hello!

I’m a postdoctoral fellow at Saarland University, advised by Prof. Ingmar Weber. I work at the intersection of Human–Computer Interaction, ICTD, and Everyday AI—practical, low-cost AI that supports learning, reflection, and civic participation.

I completed my Ph.D. in Human–Computer Interaction at Carnegie Mellon University, USA, advised by Prof. Amy Ogan and Prof. Tim Brown. My dissertation designed and evaluated low-cost, chat-based teacher learning systems that supported 400+ teachers and 10,000+ students in rural Côte d’Ivoire. Here is the draft of my thesis.

Research Interests

• ICTD – aspirations, asset-based design, local innovation
• Human-Centered AI – chatbots, IVR, microlearning, reflective practice
• Education & Health – teacher PD, community health information access

News

• Oct 2025 – Teaching: AI & the Global South (lead instructor).
• Feb 2025 – Papers accepted to CUI 2025 (LLM survey design; VAA reflection) and COMPASS 2025 (online learning & GenAI for Afghan women).
• Oct 2023 – Started postdoc in Saarbrücken.
• Aug 2023 – Defended PhD at CMU 🎓

Selected Publications

(see more on Google Scholar)

• Cannanure V.K., Ngoon T., Wolf S., Jasińska K., Brown T., Ogan A. Understanding the Longitudinal Impacts of a Chatbot for Teacher PD at Scale. ACM COMPASS 2024.
• Adhikari D.M., Hartland A., Cannanure V.K., Weber I. LLMs for Automated Generation & Adaptation of Questionnaires. ACM CUI 2025 (accepted).
• Zhu J., Kempermann M., Cannanure V.K., Weber I. Learn, Explore, and Reflect by Chatting: An LLM-based Voting Advice Assistant. ACM CUI 2025 (accepted).
• Behmanush H., Akhtari F., Nooripoor R., Weber I., Cannanure V.K. Online Learning & GenAI for Afghan Women. ACM COMPASS 2025 (accepted).
• Cannanure V.K., Brown T., Ogan A. DIA: A Human-AI Hybrid Chatbot for Low-Resource Contexts. ICTD 2020.
• Cannanure V.K., Souvenir J., Adji Y., Apke H., Brown T., Ogan A. Teacher Aspirations in Rural Côte d’Ivoire. ACM COMPASS 2020.

Service

• Co-Organizer & Community Lead, HCI Across Borders (CHI ’20–’25; COMPASS ’23/’24).
• Program Committees: COMPASS 2025, AfriCHI 2025.
• Reviewer: CHI, CSCW, COMPASS, ICTD, CHI EA, CHI Case Studies.
• Fundraising: Raised ~$25,000 for social causes in India.
• Kannada language teacher (volunteer), SV Temple, Pittsburgh.

Swimming

I’m a long-distance swimmer and have raised funds for NGOs in India.
Stories on my blog.

Selected swims:

• Elephanta → Gateway of India
• Swim Miami 2016 & 2021
• Lake Muhazi, Rwanda

Software & Making Things

I’ve built systems for web, Android, desktop, iOS, and hardware.
Selected projects include scalable Flask APIs (4M+ users), a WebGL 3D viewer, Learn Kannada (10K+ downloads), and Jedi Mouse (gesture + EEG cursor control).

Contact

Email: vica001@teams.uni-saarland.de Twitter: @kmarkiv
Blog: kmarkiv.wordpress.com

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