Inclement Weather Update
Dear Claflin Family, As we prioritize the safety and well-being of our campus community, we have been closely monitoring the winter weather advisory issued by Orangeburg County Emergency Management officials. Significant winter precipitation, including snow, will result in potentially hazardous road conditions, such as black ice. To ensure everyone’s safety, the university will transition to a virtual learning day tomorrow, January 22, 2025. Faculty and students are encouraged to utilize online platforms to continue instruction as scheduled. Staff will follow the remote work schedule. We will continue to monitor weather conditions and provide updates as needed via email and the university website. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation during this time. Please stay safe and warm as we navigate this winter weather event.

Dr. Karina Liles

In August of 2017, Dr. Liles joined Claflin University in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science.

Biography

Dr. Karina Liles is a native of Bennettsville, SC in Marlboro County. She is an assistant professor in the department of Mathematics and Computer Science where she teaches computer science courses. She is the director of the Social Technologies and Robotics (STAR) Lab.

Prior to employment at Claflin University, Dr. Liles taught computer science courses at University of South Carolina. She has also worked for Pacific Northwest National Lab (PNNL), AT&T, and Merrill Lynch as a technology analyst. She has worked at Northeastern Technical College as a Research and Statistical Analyst and adjunct professor. Dr. Liles has also served as a Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) consultant for K-12 school districts and currently owns a STEM Truck, a mobile STEM classroom that visits rural areas and provides STEM resources to students and educators.

Education

  • Doctor of Philosophy, Computer Science and Engineering, University of South Carolina
  • Master of Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, University of South Carolina
  • Master of Education, Educational Technology, University of South Carolina
  • Bachelor of Science, Computer Science, Spelman College

Research Interests

  • Robotics
  • Educational robotics
  • Artificial intelligence

Activities and Honors

  • University of South Carolina Minorities in Computing, Graduate Advisor
  • National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science, Inc. (GEM) Fellowship (2015)
  • Upsilon Pi Epsilon International Honor Society (2015)

Recent Publications

  • Beer, J. M., Liles, K. R., Wu, X. & Pakala, S. (2017). Affective Human-Robot Interaction. In M. Jeon (Ed.) Handbook of Affective Sciences in Human Factors and Human-Computer Interaction. Elsevier.
  • Liles, K. R., Bryant, D.G., Beer, J. (2017). How can social robots motivate students to practice math? Proceedings of the 12th ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction [Pioneers Workshop].
  • Liles, K. R., Perry, C., Craig, S., Beer, J. (2017). Student Perceptions: The Test of Spatial Contiguity and Gestures for Robot Instructors. Proceedings of the 12th ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction [Late Breaking Report].
  • Bryant, D.G., Liles, K. R., Beer, J. (2017). Developing a Robot Hip-Hop Dance Game to Engage Rural Minorities in Computer Science. Proceedings of the 12th ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction [Late Breaking Report].

Recent Presentations

  • Liles, K. R., Beer, J. M. (2017).Employees’ Perspectives on Telepresence in Retirement Communities. South Carolina Aging Research Network 13thAnnual Aging Research Day.
  • Liles, K. R., Brigantic, R. (2016). Simulation of warhead monitoring for systems evaluation. National  GEM Consortium Annual Conference and Meeting.
  • Beer, J. M., Boren, M., & Liles, K. R. (2016).  Robot assisted music therapy: A case study with children diagnosed with autism.  Poster Presented at the 11thACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction [Late Breaking Report], Christchurch, New Zealand.

 

Dr. Lyles profile
Dr. Karina Liles
Interim Chair of Mathmatics and Computer Science, Assistant Professor
  • School of Natural Sciences & Mathematics
Contact
James S. Thomas Science Center room 330
(803) 535-5018