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About

Kimberly Stowers is a prominent human factors researcher whose work sits at the intersection of trust, human-autonomy teaming, and human-robot interaction. Best known for her development and application of the Situation Awareness-based Agent Transparency (SAT) model, her 2018 paper on the subject has garnered over 327 citations, establishing her as a leading voice in designing effective collaboration frameworks between humans and autonomous agents. Her research explores the fundamental question of how people calibrate trust in artificial partners — from ground robots to intelligent multi-vehicle management systems — and what interface designs best support that process. Stowers has also made significant contributions to the broader science of trust itself. Her 2023 meta-analysis elaborating a comprehensive model of human trust across social and technological contexts reflects her ambition to unify findings across disciplines. Her work spans practical domains including healthcare technology adoption and the ethical implications of lethal autonomous systems, demonstrating both breadth and societal relevance. With research examining how robot proximity, form, and behavior shape user confidence, Stowers has helped lay critical empirical and theoretical groundwork for the responsible integration of autonomous systems into high-stakes human environments.