I am an Assistant Professor of Tech Ethics and Global Affairs at the Keough School of Global Affairs, with a concurrent appointment in Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Notre Dame. I am also a faculty affiliate of the Institute for Ethics & the Common Good, the McKenna Center for Human Development & Global Business, the Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society, and the Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion. I earned my Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Toronto in 2025 and also hold a doctoral specialization in South Asian Studies from the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.

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I am broadly interested in the ethics of computing in general and AI in particular, with a focus on analyzing and developing technologies for cultural and value pluralism. My research program is at the intersection of human-computer interaction (HCI), ethics in artificial intelligence (AI), and critical social sciences. It spans three interconnected themes: (a) quantitative and interpretive exploration of the challenges of pluralism, (b) design and development of computing systems that address plural ethics, and (c) supporting cultural and value pluralistic social practices in multicultural societies. Methodologically, I integrate computing techniques such as machine learning, natural language processing, and system building with qualitative explorations through ethnography and interviews, alongside theories and insights from ethics, decolonial and pluriversal design, and critical social sciences. This research aims to make technologies safer and equitable for people from all backgrounds. My work has been published and has received awards in leading venues for Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing (CSCW), Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICTD), and Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency (FAccT), including CHI, CSCW, FAccT, ICTD, and COMPASS.​

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I was born and raised in Bangladesh, a beautiful South Asian country. I speak Bengali and English. When we meet, please call me Rifat -- I go by my last name. When I am not reading, writing, researching, or teaching, I am running, visiting new places, singing or humming songs, gardening, or cooking.