When a phone number
becomes an identity
How do people navigate account access and digital identity when their phone number changes? I lead a mixed-methods study combining surveys, interviews, and analysis of service workflows.
PHD STUDENT · UW–MADISON
I’m Eve (Zihan) He. I study how people make sense of their data and navigate privacy in a world shaped by AI.
I’m a PhD student in Information at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, advised by Prof. Emilee Rader.
My research spans usable privacy and security, human–AI interaction, and human–computer interaction. I use mixed methods to understand how people interpret personal data, manage their digital identities, and experience emerging technologies.
Before my PhD, I earned an MS in Information Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and worked as an AI product manager designing and evaluating conversational voice interfaces.
eve.he@wisc.edu ↗02 / RESEARCH
How do people navigate account access and digital identity when their phone number changes? I lead a mixed-methods study combining surveys, interviews, and analysis of service workflows.
What happens when data tells people something unexpected about themselves? I analyzed interviews and driving data from a 12-week field study to inform more transparent personal-data reports.
How can interfaces make complex information easier to explore? At UNC–Chapel Hill, I designed and evaluated a geospatial dashboard for satellite trajectories and location-based data.
03 / PUBLICATIONS
Publication statuses follow my September 2026 CV.
04 / ACADEMIC LIFE
Teaching, reviewing, and contributing to the communities that make research possible.
Teaching Assistant · LIS 461, UW–Madison
Fall 2025, Spring 2026 & Summer 2026
Technical Program Committee, PSSEAPE workshop at UbiComp/ISWC 2026. External reviewer for CSCW 2026 Posters, ICMI 2026 Late Breaking Results, and CHI 2025 LBW.
Special Recognition for Outstanding Reviews · CHI 2025
PhD Student Representative, UW–Madison · 2025–present
CRA Scholarship · 2026
GHC Scholar & Community Member · 2023–present
THERE’S ALWAYS MORE TO EXPLORE