Craig Zilles

Craig Zilles is a Professor and Severns Faculty Scholar in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His primary affiliation is within the College of Engineering. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2002), where his research focused on compiler-architecture interactions and speculation techniques.

Research Interests: Zilles' work spans computing education (e.g., computer-based testing, learning analytics, concept inventories) and computer architecture (e.g., compilers, dynamic optimization, managed languages). He pioneered the Computer-based Testing Facility (CBTF), a platform revolutionizing assessment practices in STEM education.

Awards & Recognition: Recipient of the NSF CAREER Award, IEEE Micro Top Picks, ASPLOS Best Paper Awards (2010, 2013), and numerous teaching accolades including the Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award (2018) and the IEEE Education Society's Mac Van Valkenburg Early Career Teaching Award (2010).

Teaching: Instructs courses such as CS 105 (Intro Computing for Non-Tech), CS 233 (Computer Architecture), and advanced topics in computer science education. Known for innovative pedagogical approaches, including mastery-based grading and automated assessment systems.

Labs & Projects: Leads the CBTF initiative and contributes to PrairieLearn, an open-source platform enabling adaptive, randomized problem generation. His research also explores AI-driven autograding and anti-plagiarism strategies in the age of generative AI.