About
Michael D. Byrne is a Professor in both the Department of Psychological Sciences and the Department of Computer Science at Rice University. His interdisciplinary work bridges cognitive psychology, human-computer interaction, and computational modeling.
- Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, 1996
- M.S. in Computer Science, Georgia Institute of Technology, 1995
- M.S. in Experimental Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, 1993
- B.S. in Engineering (Magna Cum Laude), University of Michigan, 1991
- B.A. in Psychology (High Distinction), University of Michigan, 1991
Byrne's research focuses on human factors and human-computer interaction, with particular emphasis on cognitive modeling, visual attention, decision-making, and human performance modeling. His work applies computational cognitive architectures like ACT-R to understand human behavior in complex interactive systems. He has made significant contributions to understanding procedural errors, visual search behavior, and usability of complex systems including voting technologies. His interdisciplinary approach combines rigorous experimental methods with sophisticated computational modeling techniques to predict and explain human performance.
His recent publications reveal a strong focus on human error prevention, particularly in routine procedural tasks and voting systems. The research demonstrates consistent application of cognitive modeling approaches to practical human-computer interaction problems, with particular attention to visual attention mechanisms, error patterns, and usability assessment. His work spans theoretical cognitive science and applied human factors research, often addressing real-world challenges in system design and evaluation.
- Kavli Fellow, National Academy of Science, Fall 2009
- Outstanding Associate for 2001-2002, Mary Gibbs Jones residential college, Rice University
- Distinguished Faculty Associate for multiple years at Rice University
- NIMH Postdoctoral Fellow
- National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow
- Georgia Institute of Technology President's Fellow
Byrne has successfully secured substantial external funding from NASA, NSF, NIST, and ONR for research on human performance modeling, cognitive architecture, and human-computer interaction. His grants portfolio demonstrates strong interdisciplinary collaboration across computer science, psychology, and engineering domains. He has advised numerous graduate students and mentored undergraduate researchers in his lab. Beyond research, Byrne has served prominently on editorial boards for major journals including Human Factors, Cognitive Science, and Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied.
Byrne directs the Computer-Human Interaction Laboratory (CHIL) at Rice University, where his team conducts cutting-edge research on human performance modeling, cognitive architectures, and human-computer interaction. His lab has been particularly active in applying computational cognitive models to practical problems in system design, voting technology, and aviation human factors. The laboratory environment fosters interdisciplinary collaboration between psychology, computer science, and engineering students and researchers.
