Siyi Zhu
Ph.D. Candidate in Human–computer interaction
I study and design interfaces for scholarly sensemaking. My work connects qualitative research, speculative design, and embodied prototyping to explore how researchers can develop ideas beyond conventional text-heavy workflows.
Featured Themes
Ongoing
Research
Ongoing
Sense-able Scholarly Sensemaking
Designing a mixed reality workspace where researchers can assemble hypotheses, explore evidence, and sense computed gaps in support through movement.
2025
Sense and Sense-ability
A research and design toolkit connecting scholarly information with visual strategies from modern art to imagine alternatives to text-heavy sensemaking.
2024
Patterns of Hypertext-Augmented Sensemaking
How researchers use note types, hubs, indices, and incubators to reconnect fragmented ideas and carry scholarly thinking forward.
2021
Tangible Dial
Design
News
2026
November 2026
Demo presentation at UIST 2026
Detroit, MI, United States
2025
May 2025
Paper presentation at C&C 2025
London, United Kingdom
2024
October 2024
Paper presentation at UIST 2024
Pittsburgh, PA, United States
2024
May 2024
Workshop participation at CHI 2024
Honolulu, HI, United States
2024–Present
May 2024–Present
Speaker Series Coordinator
Organizational Teams & Technology Research Society · University of Maryland
2024
May 2024
Summer Research Fellowship
Graduate School · University of Maryland
2022–2024
August 2022–May 2024
Dean’s Fellowship
College of Information · University of Maryland
2023
October 2023
Poster presentation at CSCW 2023
Minneapolis, MN, United States
2020
September 2020
The Judith Smith Koroscik Graduate Fellowship
College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning · University of Cincinnati
Experience
Skills
- Qualitative analysis
- NVivo · Obsidian
- Development
- Python · HTML · CSS · Unity
- 2D design
- Figma · Illustrator · Photoshop · InDesign · Adobe XD
- 3D design
- SolidWorks · Rhino · KeyShot
- Video & animation
- Premiere Pro · Cinema 4D
Aug 2022–Present
Ph.D. Candidate
Human Computer Interaction
University of Maryland
Advisor: Joel Chan
Fall 2024
Teaching Assistant
User-centered Design
College of Information, University of Maryland
Fall 2022 · Spring 2023
Teaching Assistant
Decision Making in Information Science
College of Information, University of Maryland
Aug 2021–May 2022
UX/UI Designer
Innovative Clinical Data Capture and Using Lab
University of Cincinnati
Aug 2019–Apr 2021
Master of Design
User Experience Design
University of Cincinnati
Committee: Peter Chamberlain (chair), Yong Gyun Ghim
Sep 2015–Jun 2019
Bachelor of Engineering
Mechanical Design, Manufacturing, and Automation
Chengdu University
Advisor: Luping Gan
Oct 2018–Mar 2019
Industrial Design Intern
Chengdu Oii Design Co., Ltd.