Graduate Student Spotlight: Liz Ankrah Wires Research Across Borders
Raised by hard-working parents who modeled resilience and compassion, Elizabeth (Liz) Ankrah learned to show up, embrace growth and uplift those around her. These values — consistency, change and community — ground every part of her life, including her doctoral research at UC Irvine.
“Traditionally, in my work I focus on the domains of health, education and organizations, with a particular interest in understanding collaboration during transitions — periods of change that require people to adapt to new circumstances — and the transfer of information, knowledge, and responsibilities,” says Ankrah, who recently completed her dissertation on the role technology can play in the lives of childhood cancer survivors navigating the shift into adulthood. “Always making sure what I do, and the research and stories I collect as a qualitative researcher, goes back and supports the community have been paramount.”
But Ankrah didn’t always see herself pursuing a Ph.D. in informatics — much less in California. It wasn’t until she completed a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) summer program at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities that she found her calling in academic research, under the mentorship of Jasmine Jones. There, Ankrah created her own research posters and participated in the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation program and CMD/IT ACM Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing Conference.
The Tapia Conference was particularly transformative for Ankrah because it was where she met Sharnnia Artis, then Assistant Dean of Access and Inclusion at UC Irvine. Artis introduced her to UC Irvine, shared resources for thriving as a student far from home and offered a sense of belonging before she ever stepped foot in Irvine. After Ankrah graduated with her bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from George Mason University, she was ready to head west to California for her graduate studies in UC Irvine’s Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences (ICS).
“What made UC Irvine feel like home was the established structures created by Dr. Artis, which made it easy to see myself here and find community,” says Ankrah.
At UC Irvine, Ankrah is advised by Gillian Hayes, Kleist Professor of Informatics and Vice Provost of Academic Personnel, and has found a support system that advocates for her every step of the way. In the Social and Technological Action Research lab, she worked alongside Jazette Johnson and Lucretia Williams, whom she met during her REU and considers to lifelong friends. Like Johnson and Williams, Ankrah is among the first Black women to earn their Ph.D. degrees in informatics from ICS.
“Knowing you have champions and allies in this long journey is key to success. I’ve seen so many people lose heart because they can’t find someone to champion them,” she says. “I think UC Irvine met and exceeded my expectations because I continue to be surrounded by brilliant and caring individuals, such as my adviser, committee members and peers, who are not just invested in my career or academic success but also in my personal and holistic success. I feel like they know me and are constantly rooting for me.”
Beyond academia, Ankrah finds connection and enrichment from her involvement in her local church, hiking, climbing and running communities. Her community has empowered her to take her research in human-computer interaction (HCI) and computer-supported cooperative work to new levels, meaningfully contributing to many interdisciplinary projects ranging from organizational studies to health education.
“Liz is an incredible team player,” says Hayes, Ankrah’s Ph.D. adviser. “Every time she goes to a conference, she comes back with new friends and a plan to work together on some exciting new project. In our field, excellent research happens in academia, of course, but also in industry, hospitals and nonprofits. Liz is one of those special students who can cross all those boundaries and work with people from a variety of backgrounds with wide interests that sometimes even compete.”
Ankrah also brings a unique perspective to UC Irvine as a first-generation Ghanaian American, making it a personal mission to uplift and give back to those around her. One way she does this is with her TrailBlazer project, where she hosts panel discussions about various graduate school-related topics to support Black, Indigenous and people of color interested in pursuing higher education.
Her commitment to community and impact extends beyond national borders. Through her research at UC Irvine and HCI research internships with Microsoft Research, Ankrah has participated in scholarly pursuits across South Africa, Kenya and the United Kingdom. Now that she has graduated, she will return to Microsoft Research as a post-doctoral scholar in Kenya studying ethical and responsible artificial intelligence for Africa.
“As a Ghanaian American passionate about supporting the future of Africa, I have conducted cross-country research in collaboration with my brilliant local collaborators in South Africa and Kenya,” she says. “What surprised me most about my Ph.D. is realizing that there is a global network of researchers and scientists trying to make people’s experiences with technology better — more beneficial, more ethical and more intentional.”
Reflecting on her six years of growth and learning at UC Irvine, Ankrah is excited to carry forward everything she has learned to further the horizons of knowledge and empower people around the world with technology. She encourages those just starting their Ph.D. journey — especially first-generation students — to be kind to themselves and remember that they’re not alone.
“Understand that luck does not just happen; luck is created. In the words of the Roman philosopher Seneca, ‘luck happens when preparation meets opportunity.’ You deserve to be in the spaces and places you find yourself in because you worked hard to be there,” says Ankrah. “Getting a Ph.D. may feel lonely at times, but you are never alone. You have a whole academic community that is willing to help you — don’t be shy about reaching out.”
— Karen Phan