ICAT Playdate — Transparency in Hiring Technologies and Construction Safety

This ICAT Playdate will share research from two seed grants funded by the Center for Future Work Places and Practices.

How Explainable Resume Matching Empowers Job Seekers

This project explores the effects of explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) on candidates' self-efficacy in the job search processes. First, we developed a prototype system to support XAI-based resume matching—providing explainability in resume parsing and matching tasks. We also conducted an interactive workshop to gain insights from candidates on XAI-based resume matching, uncovering significant improvements in job seekers' perceived self-efficacy after using our prototype XAI-based resume matching system.

Team members:
Dr. Chris Brown, Computer Science (presenter)
Dr. Louis Hickman, Psychology
Swanand Vaishampayan, PhD Student, Computer Science
Nina Yang, Undergraduate Student, Computer Science

Improving Construction Safety Through Effective Communication

In 2023, construction recorded 1,075 fatal work injuries—the highest annual toll since 2011. While many accidents can be prevented, inefficient communication channels, language barriers, and siloed information flow on job sites make construction one of the most hazardous industries. Conversely, effective communication can bridge the gap between a strong safety culture and actual safety performance on site.

Building on “what gets measured gets improved,” this study aims to identify and assess safety communication methods across construction job-site roles with a focus on ineffective, fragmented, or isolated communication channels.

Team members:
Dr. Ashtarout Ammar, Assistant Professor, Myers-Lawson School of Construction (presenter)
Dr. Lu Zhang, Associate Professor, Myers-Lawson School of Construction
Dr. Carlos Evia, Professor, School of Communication
Ahmad Al Ayoubi, Graduate Research Assistant

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