色花堂

Even before Karla Badillo-Urquiola ’14 ’15 鈥�22PhD earned her third degree from UCF, the modeling and simulation doctoral student already had a job lined up. She began her career At Notre Dame as a tenure-track assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering 鈥� a status shared by less than 1% of Latinas in the computing workforce. As part of the job, she also serves as a fellow of Notre Dame鈥檚 Lucy Family Institute for Data and Society, where she continues her current research and collaborates with the community to build better futures for youth.

鈥淢y dream has always been to be a driving force in society for change and make a positive difference in someone else鈥檚 life,鈥� she says. 鈥淯CF has provided me not only the tools to make this dream come true, but also the opportunities to use my tools and [skill sets] to make these impacts.鈥�

Badillo-Urquiola conducts human-computer interaction research focused on helping young people navigate online risks and protecting the well-being of youth and marginalized communities. She has also been active in the community working hard to prevent human trafficking. Her doctoral dissertation, which was funded by the William T. Grant Foundation and the U.S. National Science Foundation, investigated the different levels of social support teens in foster care receive to help them navigate their online experiences and safety. More than 40 people from around the world (virtual and in-person) attended her defense, which led her to receive the Graduate Dean鈥檚 Dissertation Completion Fellowship, a testament to her meaningful work. She is passionate about her work because it is personal.

The daughter of immigrants from Cuba and Mexico, Badillo-Urquiola鈥檚 life wasn鈥檛 always easy. Her family made many sacrifices to give her the privilege of an education, she says. Badillo-Urquiola saw family members experience discrimination and during her childhood, she lived through divorces and witnessed domestic violence.

鈥淭he stories of my family are reminders to me that no matter what happens in this world, no one can take away your education 鈥� the knowledge that you鈥檝e acquired,鈥� she says. 鈥淗aving a strong community helped me overcome my childhood traumas, therefore studying how we can build online communities and supports for youth is important to me.鈥�

As a mother of two, she says she鈥檚 even more determined to protect all young people. She knows her children look to her as a role model.

鈥淧roviding a better future for my daughters motivates me to push boundaries and not be afraid to be bold,鈥� she says.

During her time at UCF, Badillo-Urquiola also earned a bachelor鈥檚 in psychology and master鈥檚 in modeling and simulation from the university and received numerous awards and accolades for her research and involvement. In addition to receiving the Graduate Dean鈥檚 Dissertation Completion Fellowship, she is also an Order of Pegasus member, McKnight Doctoral fellow, and was named a McNair Scholar during her undergraduate work.

The modeling and simulation PhD graduate credits her success to the interdisciplinary nature of her program, the support she received at the university, and the Ronald E. McNair Scholars program, all of which afforded her opportunities that shaped her experience.

• Order of Pegasus Recipient (2020)
• McKnight Doctoral Fellow
• McNair Scholar
• Outstanding Student Leader – Women’s History Month 2017
• Graduate research assistant at the Socio-Technical Interaction Research (STIR) Lab