Zihan Wu武子涵

Hello! I’m Zihan Wu. I am an Assistant Professor at University of Maine, School of Computing and Information Science (SCIS). I lead the Puffin lab 🐧 (participation, understanding, feedback, and interaction for novices) at SCIS.
My research lies at the intersection of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Computing Education Research (CER). I integrate learning theories from CER with human-centered design methods from HCI to create engaging, scalable, and effective educational tools, especially for computing. To evaluate these tools, I employ both qualitative lab studies and large-scale classroom or field studies. My work has been published in top venues in both fields, including CHI and ICER.

I earned my Ph.D. from University of Michigan, School of Information (UMSI) , advised by Dr. Barbara Ericson. Prior to UMSI, I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Technology from Tsinghua University.

At University of Maine, I teach courses for the Human-Centered Technology Design program, including HCD 101 - Introduction to Human-Centered Design (fall 2025). At University of Michigan, I have taught both introductory and advanced computing courses, including undergraduate Web Development, graduate Data Manipulation, and graduate Data Mining as a graduate student instructor.

I am recruiting PhD students to start in Fall 2026. If you’re a prospective PhD student interested in working with me, please fill out this form for prospective PhD students so I can know more about your research interest, current skills, and what you aim to gain from the PhD journey.
If you are an undergraduate or graduate student at University of Maine interested in working as an research assistant at Puffin Lab 🐧, please fill out this interest form for on-campus research assistant positions.