Afsaneh Razi, PhD
The School of Computer and Information Sciences (SCIS) congratulates Drexel Information Science Assistant Professor Afsaneh Razi, PhD, who has received a prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award in the amount of $681,393 over five years.
Her proposal is titled "CAREER: Investigating, Designing, Developing, and Evaluating Solutions to Prevent Adolescent Overattachment to Conversational AI Companions.”
The award will support Razi’s research into teens’ interactions with AI companion chatbots as of September 2026 with an estimated end date of August 2031.
In that time, Razi aims to understand how teens form relationships with AI companions; collaboratively design interventions with teens, caregivers and educators to promote healthier AI use; and evaluate these supports in real-world settings.
Her long-term goal is to develop evidence-based frameworks and educational tools that support safer AI design, strengthen teen digital literacy and resilience and guide caregivers and educators.
Razi said she is thrilled to receive the award through the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program and grateful for the NSF’s confidence in her team to handle a timely issue.
“It will help our team at ETHOS research lab, with my amazing PhD students, to address this important research in AI safety for teens,” she said. “I appreciate the recognition from the research community and the NSF for trusting us to work on this pressing issue. This award also supports my research journey as a junior faculty, and it provides the support needed to build a strong, long-term research agenda and lead advances in this area.”
In addition, Razi highlighted the collaborative, interdisciplinary research culture at SCIS and Drexel’s College of Engineering and Computing, noting that being part of a supportive community of scholars motivates her to build work that advances both scientific understanding and societal well-being.
Looking ahead, Razi, who is also the program director of SCIS's MS in Human-Computer Interaction/User Experience, emphasized that the CAREER Award aligns with her commitment to mentorship and research oriented toward the public’s interest:
“This award supports my broader goal of building research that has direct societal impact while also mentoring the next generation of researchers. A central part of my work is creating opportunities for students—from middle school to graduate school—to engage in meaningful research on digital safety, AI ethics and human-centered design.”
Read more about the award.