2023 Project Converse Workshop
- Buffalo, NY
- May 31 – June 1, 2023
The Project Converse Workshop brought together an international group of researchers, clinicians, educators, designers, and technology developers to explore the future of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and communication technologies. Through presentations, discussions, demonstrations, and collaborative sessions, participants examined how emerging technologies can improve communication access, learning, social participation, and agency for individuals with complex communication needs.
Workshop sessions focused on topics including conversational interaction, communication partner engagement, language learning, accessibility, artificial intelligence, and user-centered design. Participants shared perspectives from communication sciences, human-computer interaction, education, and accessibility research, creating opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge exchange.
A key outcome of the workshop was the identification of shared priorities for future research and innovation. Discussions emphasized the importance of designing technologies that support not only effective communication, but also meaningful participation, autonomy, and quality of life. The workshop strengthened collaborative networks and helped establish a foundation for future research, technology development, and cross-disciplinary partnerships.
| Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Jenna Bizovi | The State University of New York At Buffalo |
| Steven Bloch | University College London |
| Richard Cave | University College London |
| Rachel Chen | Nanyang Technological University |
| Mike Clarke | San Francisco State University |
| Karen Erickson | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
| Melanie Fried-Oken | Oregon Health and Science University |
| Lori Geist | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
| Tom Griffiths | University of Dundee |
| Jeff Higginbotham | The State University of New York At Buffalo |
| Todd Hutchinson | The State University of New York At Buffalo |
| Seray Ibrahim | King’s College London |
| Jordynn Koroschetz | The State University of New York At Buffalo |
| Antonia Krummheuer | Aalborg University |
| Pamela Mathy | The State University of New York At Buffalo |
| Sayantan Pal | The State University of New York At Buffalo |
| Francesco Possemato | The State University of New York At Buffalo |
| Graham Pullin | University of Dundee |
| Nancy Quick | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
| Brian Roark | |
| Antara Satchidanand | The State University of New York At Buffalo |
| Dawn Sowers | Pennsylvania State University |
| Rohini Srihari | The State University of New York At Buffalo |
| Finley Tams-Gray | University of Dundee |
| Jutta Treviranus | Ontario College of Art and Design University |
| Stephanie Valencia | Carnegie Mellon University |
| Cas Vecchio | The State University of New York At Buffalo |
| Keith Vertanen | Michigan Technological University |
| Annalu Waller | University of Dundee |
| Krista Wilkinson | Pennsylvania State University |
2025 Project Converse Workshop
- Groningen, NL
- April 2-4, 2025
- Workshop Website
Held in Groningen, the Netherlands, Transforming Interaction brought together researchers from AAC, social robotics, artificial intelligence, design, and human-computer interaction to explore how advances in conversational AI can support more socially interactive technologies. The workshop created a unique forum for examining shared challenges and opportunities across communication technologies and social robotics.
Through presentations, demonstrations, fishbowl discussions, and collaborative working sessions, participants explored topics including conversational turn-taking, large language models, multimodal communication, speech synthesis, lifespan development, and adaptive technology design. A central focus was understanding how detailed analyses of real-world interaction can inform the development of more responsive and inclusive technologies.
The workshop fostered new interdisciplinary connections and highlighted the value of combining insights from conversation analysis, AAC research, robotics, and AI. By bringing together diverse perspectives, the event advanced ongoing efforts to design communication technologies that better support interaction, participation, and learning across the lifespan.
| Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Shalini Agarwal | The State University of New York At Buffalo |
| Jenna Bizovi | The State University of New York At Buffalo |
| Katherine Broomfield | North Bristol NHS Trust/ Cardiff Metropolitan University |
| Mike Clarke | San Francisco State University |
| Myrte Gosen | University of Groningen |
| Jeff Higginbotham | The State University of New York At Buffalo |
| Seray Ibrahim | King’s College London |
| Simon Judge | Barnsley Hospital Assistive Technology Team, University of Sheffield |
| Antonia Krummheuer | Aalborg University |
| Ada Lopez | Centre for Language Studies, Radboud University |
| Alex Lorson | University of Groningen |
| Ali Reza Majlesi | Karolinska Institutet |
| Pamela Mathy | The State University of New York At Buffalo |
| Niklas Norén | Uppsala University |
| Catharine Oertel | Delft University of Technology |
| Henrike Padmos | University of Groningen |
| Francesco Possemato | University of Groningen |
| Graham Pullin | Studio Ordinary, University of Dundee |
| Marlou Rasenberg | Radboud University |
| Dylan Rose | University of Groningen |
| Damien Rudaz | University of Copenhagen, Department of Nordic Studies and Linguistics |
| Christina Samuelsson | Karolinska Institutet |
| Antara Satchidanand | The State University of New York At Buffalo |
| Oliver Spiess | University of Basel |
| Eva Szekely | KTH Royal Institute of Technology |
| Fin Tams-Gray | Studio Ordinary, University of Dundee |
| Stephanie Valencia | University of Maryland |
| Roel van Veen | University of Groningen |
| Sruthi Viswanathan | University of Oxford |
| Janina Wildfeuer | University of Groningen |
| Jan-Oliver Wülfing | n/a |
