London ACM-W Chapter

Brief Bio

Dr. Mirela began their academic journey as a mature student at the University of East London, graduating with First-Class Honours in Software Engineering. They received the department’s Best Graduate Thesis Award and the British Computer Society’s Exceptional Student Award. They went on to complete an MSc in Data Science at City, University of London and St George’s, University of London; their final thesis was a collaboration with LG Industries on the use of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for biological identification. Mirela is now a Lecturer in Computer Science at City, University of London and St George’s, University of London, and they specialise in the intersection of participatory visualisation and active travel. Having recently completed a PhD in this field, their research explores innovative methods for amplifying underrepresented voices in active-travel discourse. They have presented their work internationally, including at conferences in Austria and Mexico, where they contributed to panels examining the intersection of data visualisation, feminism, and power dynamics. Committed to advancing knowledge in their field, they actively engage in academic communities and have served on committees for prestigious conferences such as the STS Conference Graz and CGVC. They are dedicated to bridging technology and humanity in both their pedagogy and research.