Shaundra B. Daily, Ph.D.
As a founder of g8four, Shaundra is pursuing her passions for technology, learning, community service and helping individuals achieve their full potential.
Shaundra received her Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab. Her work with the Affective Computing Group involved designing and implementing technology-infused collaborative learning environments that provide youth an authentic opportunity to learn about themselves, others, and to gain insight into interpersonal dynamics. As a part of this work, she designed and built Affect as Index, a software for collecting and displaying physiological data of groups to support dialogue.
Upon arrival at the Media Lab in 2003, Shaundra combined the ideas of constructionist learning and affective computing to create a new system to address the emotional needs of teenaged girls. She designed and implemented an innovative new technology that brought together state-of-the art common-sense machine learning with theories of human learning and constructionism. While building this system, she collaborated with the Future of Learning Group on “The City that We Want” project in which learners build computational models for how they would like to improved their communities. Shaundra also collaborated on RoBallet, which bridged dance and robotics; and built the INNER-active Journal, a digital journal collecting physiological data for future reflection.
Prior to Shaundra’s work at MIT, she received a B.S. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University - Florida State University College of Engineering. There, she worked on developing algorithms for predicting the possibility of student success in entry-level electrical engineering courses. She also designed curriculum for and facilitated Technical OutReach Community Help (T.O.R.C.H.), a program of the National Society of Black Engineers geared toward closing the digital divide.
Shaundra has been profiled in the American Association for Advancement in Science website profiling African American Scientists, Engineer Your Life, geared towards encouraging young women to pursue engineering careers; and WGBH’s Science City. CBN, Science Update Radio Program, and National Public Radio have also recognized her work.
Outside of her laboratory, Shaundra has worked as the Achiever’s Plus Chair of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) where she implemented programs to enable underrepresented minorities to meet the goal of “an A+ average.” She has worked with undergraduates as both a mentor and resident adviser supporting and encouraging personal growth, provided outlets for managing stress, and facilitated positive interpersonal relationships for students. Most importantly, she is the proud wife of Julian and mother to Layla and Zoe.