Hi! I’m Yinka, a Ph.D. candidate at the Information School, University of Wisconsin–Madison, where I work with Reginold Royston. I am also affiliated with the African Studies Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I am also a fellow at the Interdisciplinary Network for Technology and Entrepreneurship Research in Africa (INTERA).
My academic research lies at the intersection of digital labor, language, and platform economies. I examine the experiences of gig translators in Kenya, focusing on how they engage with digital platforms, negotiate autonomy, and respond to shifting policy environments. Through this work, I aim to inform more inclusive policy approaches, inclusive technologies, the need for capacity building, and localization.
My dissertation is titled “Translators as Gig Workers: Re-iterating White Collar Work in the Era of Digital De-Professionalization in Kenya.” I am currently undertaking my research in Kenya, where I am working closely with freelance or gig translators, language professionals in academia, and industry professionals.
Before attending the University of Wisconsin–Madison, I obtained my M.A. in Political Science and M.Sc. in Information Communication Science from Ball State University. During my time there, I gained valuable teaching and research experience, working on projects related to technology policy, digital communication, and governance. These experiences helped shape my academic interests and provided a foundation for my ongoing research.
Alongside my academic work, I wear another hat as a UX researcher and practitioner. I explore how people engage with technology in everyday settings, bridging theoretical insights and practical application.
My focus lies at the crossroads of digital inclusion and human-centered design. Combining a foundation in social theory with hands-on UX research, I aim to create technologies deeply rooted in real-world experiences and tailored to diverse user needs.
You can also explore my UX portfolio to see examples of my applied research work. My work is driven by a commitment to culturally responsive design, especially in under-researched contexts, in both academic and applied settings.
Outside of academia, I am an avid soccer fan with a deep passion for the sport. During my college years, I played competitive soccer, an experience that taught me invaluable life lessons such as grit, perseverance, and the importance of teamwork.
These lessons have not only shaped me as an individual but have also profoundly influenced my professional approach—encouraging me to stay resilient in the face of challenges, maintain a strong work ethic, and collaborate effectively with others. Soccer remains a meaningful part of my life, continually inspiring me to push boundaries both on and off the field.
I use artificial intelligence tools such as Copilot, Claude, and ChatGPT as part of a broader research workflow. My use of AI is selective and intentional, grounded in the understanding that these systems can extend my capacity as a researcher while still requiring careful, informed judgment. In both academic and user research contexts, AI assists me in interpreting complex information environments and exploring conceptual directions. I treat these tools not as autonomous analytic engines but as flexible companions that support particular stages of inquiry without shaping the intellectual foundations of my work.
Across projects, I use AI to support early-stage exploration by helping me test alternative perspectives, generate analytical possibilities, and identify interpretive directions that warrant further examination. These tools can accelerate sensemaking. While these outputs do not determine my conclusions, they broaden the analytic horizon and help me broaden my perspective.
Although AI can enhance efficiency, I remain fully responsible for the validity, interpretation, and ethical integrity of all research outcomes. Every AI-assisted process is followed by careful verification and contextual judgment. I use these tools with critical awareness, mindful of the biases present in training data, the infrastructures that support these systems, and the broader social implications of automated reasoning. Throughout my work, I maintain transparency about when and how AI contributes to a project.
In my research, AI functions as a supportive layer that enriches analysis, organization, and creative thinking while preserving the human expertise required for rigorous scholarship. It strengthens inquiry without replacing it, enabling me to work more expansively, think more critically, and engage more deeply with the global digital contexts that shape my research.