About Me
My name is Joyce Gill and I am a senior at Grinnell College majoring in Computer Science with concentrations in Statistics/Data Science and Digital Studies. At Grinnell, I am currently working as a Human-AI Interaction researcher under Professor Sarah Purcell, Statistics Researcher under Professor Shonda Kuiper, and Lead Instructor at the Grinnell Middle School.
This past summer, I worked at Carnegie Mellon University's Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCII) through the NSF REU Program. I worked under Professor Paulo Carvalho to investigate the efficacy of mastery-based testing in fostering effective self-regulated learning behaviors in CS1 courses.
I previously worked at Columbia University through the Amazon Summer Research (SURE) Program. I worked under Professor Brian A. Smith to explore how augmented reality (AR) can be used to combat gentrification and preserve oral history in Harlem, New York. I’ve also completed one software engineering and two UI/UX internships at startups.
My research interests lie at the intersection of human-AI interaction, computer science education, learning sciences, translational research, artificial intelligence, and design.
A little bit more about me: I was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, and my family is from Omaha, Nebraska. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, traveling, going on very long walks, and spending time with my friends, family, and dog.
During my second year of undergrad, I had the privilege of being selected to co-host the Grinnell College Information Session, which is filmed once every ~5 years. This was a huge honor for me, as I was the youngest student in Grinnell's history to be given this opportunity (this role has traditionally been reserved for seniors). While I was super nervous and have changed a lot since, I am so proud to have represented my college. Feel free to watch!
Experience
Carnegie Mellon University, Human-Computer Interaction Institute — 2025–Present
Undergraduate Researcher | NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program
- Professor Paulo F. Carvalho’s Optimized Algorithms & Knowledge (OAK) Lab.
- Project 1: Investigating the efficacy of mastery-based testing in fostering effective self-regulated learning behaviors in introductory programming courses.
- Led pilot study and end-to-end research lifecycle (experimental design, usability testing, data collection/processing/analysis, co-authoring paper)
- Designed and built an introductory Python course
- Project 2: Two-year study analyzing the long-term effects of mastery-based testing on student performance and retention across the General Chemistry I and II sequence.
- Developed statistical models (linear/logistic regression) and performed data cleaning and analysis
Grinnell College, Department of Digital Studies — 2025–Present
Independent Research Project
- Advised by Professor Sarah J. Purcell.
- Human-AI Collaboration (more details coming soon).
Grinnell Middle School, Introduction to Computer Science Course — 2025-Present
Lead Instructor | 40 students
- Designed a mentor-apprentice training model, successfully training over 10 instructional facilitators to ensure the program continues beyond my graduation.
- Institutionalized the program's future by turning it from a volunteer-run program to a paid work-study position through Grinnell College.
- Teaching middle school students data types, Spheros, mBots, and type-based programming.
Grinnell College Office of Admissions — 2023–Present
Admissions Tour Guide & Information Session Co-Host
- Selected as the youngest information-session co-host in Grinnell College’s history
- Received offer to be a Senior Interviewer as a sophomore
Grinnell College, Department of Computer Science — 2025–2025
Research Assistant | NSF National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR) Pilot Expansion Project to advance AI education at four-year institutions.
- Under Professor Jerod Weinman
- Cleaned, processed, and analyzed data to identify the latest AI trends and develop strategies for integrating AI into undergraduate CS curricula.
Grinnell Middle School, Introduction to Computer Science Course — 2025-2025
Instructional Coordinator | 15 students
- Teaching data types, mBots, and type-based programming.
Columbia University, Department of Computer Science — 2024–2024
Undergraduate Researcher | Amazon Science Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Program
- Professor Brian A. Smith’s Computer-Enabled Abilities Lab (CEAL)
- Project 1 — Community AR: Exploring how AR can be used to combat gentrification and preserve oral history in Harlem, New York.
- Led pilot study.
- Designed and prototyped an interactive AR “page flip” feature using Unity and Figma.
- Conducted mixed-methods research, including field studies, usability testing, and archival research.
- Project 2 — TeLLMe: Making NYC Open Data more accessible for non-expert audiences by using LLMs to contextualize datasets
- Led the end-to-end UI/UX design process (brainstorming, wireframing, prototyping).
Grinnell Middle School, Introduction to Computer Science Course — 2024-2024
Instructional Facilitator | 13 students
- Teaching data types, Sphero Robots, and block-based programming.
Grinnell College, CSC 208 — Discrete Mathematics Course — 2024-2024
Course Mentor | 40 students
- Under Professor Eric Autry
- Achieved a perfect 10/10 mentor satisfaction rating
- Guided students to achieve the highest average final grade in course history.
GG56 Korea — 2023–2024
UI/UX & Digital Marketing Intern
- Increased app downloads by 2,000+ on Google Play Store by leading co-design workshops, conducting usability testing, and resolving 50+ bugs.
MSW Media — 2023–2023
Summer Technology Analyst
- Reduced application load times by 45% through UX research and testing.
Sangrok Orphanage — 2014–2023
Student Volunteer
- Taught English to elementary students once a week, tailoring lessons to individual student proficiency
- Organized biweekly outings, events, and activities.
EduSpot Academy, Multiple Computer Science & AP Courses — 2021–2022
Teaching Assistant | 181 students
- Teaching Assistant (ACSL Junior Division Prep, 42 students across 3 terms): developed class assignments.
- Teaching Assistant (AP CS A, 64 students across 4 terms): created tutorial videos with worked solutions.
- Teaching Assistant (AP Capstone, 46 students across 3 terms): mentored individual research projects.
- Teaching Assistant (USACO Silver, 15 students in 1 term): hosted bi-weekly debugging sessions.
- Teaching Assistant (USACO Bronze, 14 students in 1 term): graded weekly checks, homework, and problem sets.
Korea Business Competition — 2021–2022
Web Developer
- Designed and developed the competition's website: koreabusinesscompetition.org