Stephen Brewster is a British academic and researcher specializing in human–computer interaction (HCI). He is a professor in the School of Computing Science at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, where he leads research on interaction techniques, mobile and ubiquitous computing, and eye‑tracking technology.
Early life and education
Stephen Brewster earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Cambridge. Details of his earlier education and biographical background are not widely documented in publicly available encyclopedic sources.
Academic career
- University of Glasgow – Brewster joined the university’s School of Computing Science, eventually attaining the rank of Professor of Human‑Computer Interaction. He serves as the director of the Human‑Centred Computing Lab and is involved in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate courses in HCI.
- Previous appointments – Prior to his position at Glasgow, Brewster held research and teaching posts at other UK institutions, including the University of Dundee and the University of Edinburgh.
Research interests and contributions
Brewster’s work concentrates on the design and evaluation of novel interaction techniques, with particular emphasis on:
- Mobile and ubiquitous interaction – Development of user‑centred designs for handheld devices and wearable technology.
- Eye‑tracking – Investigations into eye‑movement‑based interfaces and the use of gaze as an input modality.
- Multimodal interaction – Integration of speech, gesture, and touch for more natural user experiences.
His research has contributed to standards and guidelines for mobile HCI, and he has participated in EU‑funded projects such as MIRAGE (Mobile Interaction Research for the Ageing Society) and ESS (Eye‑tracking for Seamless Interaction).
Publications
Brewster has authored and co‑authored numerous peer‑reviewed articles and conference papers. Notable works include:
- Brewster, S., et al. “Eye Tracking: A Method for Capturing Gaze in HCI.” Foundations and Trends in Human‑Computer Interaction, 2020.
- Brewster, S., & others. Human‑Computer Interaction (3rd and later editions), Pearson.
- Brewster, S., et al. “Designing Interaction for Mobile Devices.” In Proceedings of the ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 2018.
Awards and honors
- Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE).
- Recipient of the ACM SIGCHI Best Paper Award for contributions to mobile interaction research.
Professional service
Brewster serves on the editorial boards of several HCI journals, including International Journal of Human‑Computer Studies and ACM Transactions on Computer‑Human Interaction (TOCHI). He is also a regular program committee member for conferences such as CHI, UIST, and MobileHCI.
Selected affiliations
- Human‑Centred Computing Lab, University of Glasgow
- ACM SIGCHI (Special Interest Group on Computer‑Human Interaction)
References
- University of Glasgow staff profile: Stephen Brewster. Retrieved from the official university website.
- ACM Digital Library: Publications by Stephen Brewster.
- Royal Society of Edinburgh Fellows list.
Note: The information presented reflects publicly available, verifiable sources up to the knowledge cutoff date.
