Lisa Huang is an assistant teaching professor of information science in the Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science. Her teaching and research focuses on human-AI interaction in programming systems. Before joining Cornell this Fall, Huang received her master's and doctoral degrees in computer science from the University of California, San Diego, and a bachelor’s in computer science and cognitive and linguistic sciences from Wellesley College.
What is your academic focus?
Human-computer interaction (HCI), with a focus on programming.
Describe your research.
My research focuses on HCI in programming systems, with a particular interest in building programming support for non-programmers. I am also interested in understanding how programmers of all kinds approach programming and debugging, and how we can design systems to better support their needs. More recently, I have been investigating how various populations interact with AI in programming to inform tool designs and pedagogical innovations.
What inspired you to pursue a career in this field?
I actually had no intention to pursue a career in computing before college. The intro to programming course I took in my first year was so engaging that it changed my mind. Throughout college and grad school, I also had mentors and advisors who always supported me to explore my interests and challenge the unknown (for instance, how do we factor user insights into programming system design?). I further witnessed how they motivated other students in similar ways, within and outside of the classroom. So, in short, my prior mentors and advisors inspired me to follow their footsteps and motivate future generations.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
I enjoy practicing figure skating, classical music, ballet, and attending live performances of these events.
What courses are you most looking forward to teaching?
I am excited about teaching a course on designing AI-assisted programming support this fall (INFO 3160). I also look forward to developing more beginner-friendly courses around HCI and AI.