I am an associate professor in the Department of Computer and Information Sciences at Towson University. I am also director of the CIS Undergraduate Program and director of the Universal Usability Laboratory. I can be reached:

Via phone at 410-704-2255
Via fax at 410-704-3868
Via e-mail, I can be reached if you take the domain towson.edu and then add jlazar and an @ sign in front of it (done to avoid spam!)

I am involved in teaching and research in the area of human-computer interaction. Specifically, I am interested in web usability, web accessibility, user-centered design, assistive technology, and public policy in the area of CHI. I also currently serve as the National Chair of the SIGCHI US Public Policy Committee

Summary of my activities:

I have published 4 books. The two most recent books are:
Web Usability: A User-Centered Design Approach (published by Addison-Wesley)
and Universal Usability: Designing Computer Interfaces for Diverse User Populations , a book that I edited, which is available from John Wiley and Sons.

I regularly publish in journals and conference proceedings, including the International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, Behaviour and Information Technology, and Interacting with Computers. I also regularly present tutorials on topics related to human-computer interaction, including tutorials on Introduction to HCI, and Web Usability. I currently serve on the editorial boards of the Journal of Informatics Education and Research and Universal Access in the Information Society. My research has been highlighted in articles in the Baltimore Sun, Louisville Courier-Journal, and the Braille Monitor. Please contact me for copies of these articles. Also, you can read more about User Frustration for Blind Users on the Web and Security Improvements for Blind users on the Towson web site. I have served on program committees for the SIGCHI, ASSETS, SIGDOC, INTERACT, and HCII conferences. I was a co-author on the paper which won the best paper award at ASSETS 2008. My research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, and I am also available for consulting work.

Last updated February 5, 2009