The Puffin Lab at the University of Maine, led by Assistant Professor Zihan Wu, is seeking 1-2 PhD students to begin in Fall 2026 in the School of Computing and Information Science. The lab focuses on research at the intersection of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Computing Education Research (CER), with the goal of building personalized, scalable, and effective tools to help novices learn programming and other technical skills. Research areas include designing and studying interactive learning technologies, integrating learning theories from CER with human-centered design methods from HCI, and evaluating educational tools through both qualitative and large-scale studies.

Applicants should have a strong interest in HCI and Computing Education or Learning Sciences, experience with empirical research methods (such as experiments, log data analysis, interviews, surveys, or design-based research), and programming experience in languages like Python or JavaScript/TypeScript. The lab values curiosity about how people learn, a desire to improve education for diverse learners, and a commitment to a collaborative and supportive research environment. Ethical responsibility and inclusivity are also emphasized.

Prospective students are encouraged to fill out the interest form to introduce their research interests and skills. Formal applications should be submitted through the University of Maine’s Graduate School and the School of Computing and Information Science, specifying the relevant PhD program (Computer Science or Spatial Information Science and Engineering) and mentioning Zihan Wu in the application materials. The application deadline is January 15, 2026.

While the announcement does not specify funding details, these are standard PhD positions at a U.S. public research university. For more information about the lab and Professor Wu’s research, visit the provided academic and social media links.