Michael Hilton

Michael Hilton is an Associate Teaching Professor in the Software and Societal Systems Department of the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University. He also serves as the Associate Department Head for Education and directs both the Software Engineering Minor and Software Engineering Concentration programs. His work bridges academic research with practical software engineering education.

• Ph.D. in Computer Science, Oregon State University (2017)
• M.S. in Computer Science, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (2013)
• B.S. in Computer Science, San Diego State University (2002)

Professor Hilton's research primarily focuses on understanding and improving the developer experience, with particular emphasis on flaky tests, continuous integration practices, and software engineering education. His work combines empirical studies of real-world development practices with educational innovations to enhance how software engineers are trained. He has conducted extensive research on test flakiness, identifying patterns, causes, and potential solutions to this pervasive problem in modern software development.

His scholarly contributions reveal a consistent focus on practical software engineering challenges, particularly those affecting developer productivity and software quality. The research trajectory shows increasing attention to educational aspects of software engineering, including team-based learning, structured feedback mechanisms, and the impact of emerging technologies like AI on programming education.

Professor Hilton has over 20 years of professional experience in software development, including 9 years at SPAWAR Pacific where he worked on projects for the US Navy, Coast Guard, and White House. This industry background informs his teaching approach, which emphasizes preparing students for real-world challenges they'll face after graduation.

He teaches software engineering-focused courses and has developed educational approaches that integrate practical development experience with theoretical foundations. His teaching philosophy centers on providing students with both immediate practical skills and enduring principles that will serve them throughout their careers, with special attention to software engineering in startup environments.