Yusuf Pisan

Yusuf Pisan is an Associate Teaching Professor in the Computing & Software Systems Division at the University of Washington Bothell, part of the School of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics. He previously served as an Associate Professor at the University of Technology Sydney and has held visiting professor positions at Harvey Mudd College, IT University of Copenhagen, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and University of Southern California.

His educational background includes a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Northwestern University (dissertation: "An integrated architecture for engineering problem solving"), a B.S. in Computer Science from Northwestern University, and a Graduate Certificate in Educational Studies (Higher Education) from Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia.

Dr. Pisan's research focuses on three interconnected areas:

• Computer Science Education: Developing better teaching methodologies, feedback systems, scaffolding for independent learning, understanding student mental models, and building automated systems to improve learning productivity
• Computer Games: Creating realistic non-player characters, novel user experiences, improved graphics, scalability, and interaction mechanisms
• Artificial Intelligence: Designing systems that explain reasoning, answer what-if questions, learn from few examples, and function as collaborative partners

He founded the Australasian Conference on Interactive Entertainment and established the Games Studio research group at University of Technology Sydney. His current research group T4G (Tech for Good) continues this work at UW Bothell, focusing on applying technology to address social challenges.

Award highlights:

• Distinguished Teaching Award from University of Washington Bothell (2023)
• UTS Learning and Teaching Award from University of Technology Sydney (2006)

Dr. Pisan teaches a wide range of courses from introductory programming (CSS 132/133, CSS 142/143) through advanced topics (CSS 382 Introduction to AI, CSS 385 Game Development, CSS 430 Operating Systems). Notably, he has made all his teaching evaluations publicly available to promote transparency in education. His teaching philosophy incorporates various methodologies including active learning, flipped classrooms, and gamified instruction across class sizes ranging from small seminars to 700-person lectures.

His research group T4G (Tech for Good) develops technology solutions aimed at community betterment and social impact.