Janet Burge

Janet Burge is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at Colorado College, where she co-chairs the department. She holds a PhD from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (2005) and a bachelor's degree from Michigan Technological University. Her research focuses on Design Rationale—methods for capturing decision-making processes in software design to preserve critical knowledge over system lifespans. She integrates 20+ years of industry experience as a software engineer and AI researcher into her academic work.

Her research interests span Design Rationale, Human-Computer Interaction, and Software Engineering, with emphasis on collaborative tools, decision documentation, and AI-driven text mining. She investigates how rationale capture improves software maintenance, team coordination, and educational outcomes.

Burge's publications show consistent focus on empirical studies of software design processes, with recent work exploring distributed meetings, AI-assisted rationale extraction, and educational tools. Key trends include interdisciplinary approaches blending AI optimization, human factors, and pedagogy to address complex design challenges.

Grants:

• NSF, 2022: Distributed Fragmented Software Design Meetings ($599,994; $132,758 to CC)
• NSF, 2009: CAREER: Rationale Capture for High Assurance Systems ($527,864)
• NSF, 2009: CPATH-2: Incorporating Communication Outcomes into CS Curriculum ($799,996)

She teaches courses including Software Design, Computer Science I, Human-Computer Interaction, and Team Software Projects. She mentors undergraduate researchers through SCoRe and NSF REU programs, emphasizing project-based learning in rationale capture and software engineering.