About Me
Experienced Software Developer and Researcher with 6+ years of combined experience driving innovation in software development and human-centered computing. Proven track record of consistently delivering user-centered software solutions and impactful research outcomes. Committed to lifelong learning and contributing to team success.
Work Experience
- Conducted in-depth research with 81 participants on the impact of mimicking, positioning, and gender in motivational virtual agents, leading to improved user engagement strategies and enhancing agent-user interaction dynamics.
- Spearheaded development of a user interface for an AR-based Task Guidance system, improving task efficiency and user experience, and contributed to a published paper identifying 15 key user needs for task guidance systems.
- Designed and executed a study with 24 participants on how adults interact with companion conversational AI agents, providing valuable insights that informed the development of more intuitive AI companionship technologies.
- Led the development and execution of a study utilizing physiological signals to predict user interruptibility in mixed reality environments, achieving 72.5% accuracy through machine learning models.
- Enhanced an existing exam-taking website by designing and implementing new functionalities, including a dedicated admin page that streamlined administrative tasks and increased efficiency.
- Maintained and strengthened the security of an Apache server by implementing advanced security measures, ensuring robust data protection and security compliance.
- Oversaw and updated the gradebook for over 100 students, ensuring accuracy and timely feedback distribution, which contributed to enhanced student performance and satisfaction.
- Provided personalized assistance and fostered an environment of approachability and support for over 100 students, helping them understand complex programming concepts and improve assignment completion rates.
- Developed and delivered engaging lessons on racquetball techniques, while improving student engagement through clear communication of rules, strategies, and grading criteria.
- Fostered a supportive learning environment by providing personalized feedback to students.
- Delivered lessons and provided support to help students grasp basic Spanish concepts, including grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.
- Strengthened teaching skills by working with students during class sessions three times a week, offering personalized guidance to enhance their understanding of the language.
Publications
- Calvo, R., Bista, D., Napoli, N., Anthony, L., & Ruiz, J. (2024). Predicting User Interruptibility in Mixed Reality: Utilizing Physiological Signals for Managing Interruptions. Submitted to the Proceedings of the 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.Under Review.
- Calvo, R., Wang, H., Barquero, A., & Ruiz, J. (2024). Exploring Users' Perceptions on Position, Gaze Direction, and Gender of Virtual Agents in Augmented Reality. Submitted to the International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction. Under Review.
- Barquero, A.*, Calvo, R.L.*, Delgado, D.A.*, Wang, I., Anthony, L. and Ruiz, J., 2024, July. Understanding User Needs for Task Guidance Systems Through the Lens of Cooking. In Proceedings of the 2024 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference (pp. 2006-2018). (*Equal Contribution)
- Wang, I., Calvo, R., Wang, H. and Ruiz, J., 2023, September. Stop Copying Me: Evaluating nonverbal mimicry in embodied motivational agents. In Proceedings of the 23rd ACM International Conference on Intelligent Virtual Agents (pp. 1-4).
