Hola👋

My name is Junior Francisco Garcia and I am a software engineer, researcher, and technologist. I am currently pursuing a fully-funded Global Ph.D. Fellowship in Computer Science at New York University's Tandon School of Engineering in New York City 🇺🇸. As part of my Ph.D. studies, I am also a Graduate Research Assistant for the Human-Data Interaction Lab under Professor Azza Abouzied at New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD). I am originally from San Pedro Sula, Honduras 🇭🇳, a fact I repeatedly bring up in conversation.

My research interests span several sub-specialties in the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), like computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW) and collaborative decision-making. Some of my ongoing research work includes qualitative and quantitative methodologies to analyze user behavior for the design of novel collaborative search interfaces, data science and machine learning techniques to study and tackle misinformation, and full-stack application development.

In 2021, I graduated with a B.S. in Computer Science and a minor in Interactive Media and Technology at NYUAD. The university fully funded my education, and I received the chance to work, study, and volunteer in New York, U.S.A; Shanghai, China; Athens, Greece; Hamburg, Germany; Dubai and Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.; and Aljoun, Jordan throughout the four years of my undergraduate education.

In my free time, I enjoy practicing weight-lifting and long-distance running (I finished my first marathon in late 2022), traveling and exploring nature as much as possible (probably because of my training as a Honduran Eagle Scout), and watching football (I attended my first World Cup in Qatar 2022).