Andrés Monroy-Hernández

Andrés Monroy-Hernández is a Mexican computer scientist and researcher specializing in human–computer interaction, social computing, and civic technology. His work focuses on designing and studying online communities and social platforms, particularly those that empower youth and foster civic engagement. He has held significant research positions at Microsoft Research and Snap Inc., and his contributions to the Scratch (programming language) online community are widely recognized in the fields of learning sciences and digital literacy.

Early life and education

Born and raised in Mexico City, his early interest in technology was influenced by the growing digital culture in Mexico. He pursued his undergraduate studies in computer engineering before moving to the United Kingdom for graduate work. He earned a Master of Philosophy degree from the University of Cambridge, where his research began to intersect technology and social systems. He later completed his Doctor of Philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's MIT Media Lab, working within the Lifelong Kindergarten research group under mentors like Mitchel Resnick.

Career and research

Following his doctorate, he joined Microsoft Research as a postdoctoral researcher and later became a full-time researcher in the Social Media Collective at Microsoft Research New England. His research at Microsoft examined how social platforms like Twitter and Facebook could be designed for safer and more supportive interactions. In 2017, he transitioned to industry, taking a leadership role as a research scientist at Snap Inc., where he led teams studying the well-being and safety of users on Snapchat. His career has consistently bridged academic inquiry and practical application in major technology companies.

Notable projects and contributions

His most influential early work centered on the Scratch (programming language) online community, where he studied how young people learn, collaborate, and share creative coding projects in a moderated, global environment. This research contributed foundational knowledge to the field of constructionist learning. He also created and studied several experimental civic platforms, such as ConsiderIt, a tool for structuring public dialogue, and Party with the Mayor, a game designed to engage citizens with local government. His investigations into civic technology often explore how digital tools can improve democratic participation and community decision-making.

Awards and recognition

His innovative research has earned him several prestigious accolades. He was named to the MIT Technology Review's annual list of Innovators Under 35 for his work on social computing. He has also been recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. His scholarly publications have received awards at top-tier conferences in his field, including the Association for Computing Machinery's conferences on Human Factors in Computing Systems and Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing.

Personal life

He maintains strong professional ties to both the United States and Mexico, often participating in initiatives that aim to strengthen the technology and research ecosystem in Latin America. He is known for advocating for more ethical and human-centered design in social media and for mentoring students from underrepresented backgrounds in technology.

Category:Mexican computer scientists Category:Human–computer interaction researchers Category:MIT Media Lab alumni