Joshua Sunshine

Joshua Sunshine is an Assistant Professor in the S3D Software and Societal Systems Department at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science. His research focuses on the intersection of programming languages, software engineering, and human-computer interaction (HCI), emphasizing usability-driven language design and tools for developers. He leads the REU Site in Software Engineering (REUSE), a National Science Foundation-funded program fostering undergraduate research and equity in computing.

Key research areas include: (1) Formal methods for software testing and verification (e.g., TerzoN, Gradual C0), (2) Domain-specific languages for mathematical visualization (Penrose), (3) Secure blockchain programming (Obsidian), and (4) Automated test generation tools (Nanofuzz). His work bridges theory and practice through user-centered methodologies, evident in projects like PLATEAU workshops and Glacier's transitive immutability.

Awards include the NSF CAREER Award (2024) and sustained leadership in REU programs. His grants emphasize reproducible scientific programming, framework debugging, and interdisciplinary tool development. Notable contributions include frameworks like Rose for web-based autodiff and Edgeworth for scalable visual activity authoring.

Labs/Teams: Core contributor to the S3D group, collaborating with HCI and PL communities. Active in organizing PLATEAU workshops (2018–2023), fostering evaluation and usability research in programming languages.