Sarah Gimbert Sterman

Sarah Gimbert Sterman is a Research Assistant Professor in the Computer Science department at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she leads the Process, Interaction, and Creativity Lab (PICL). Her work bridges computer science, design, and humanities perspectives to develop computational creativity support tools.

Her educational background includes:

• PhD in Computer Science from University of California, Berkeley (Hybrid Ecologies Lab with Eric Paulos)
• MS in Computer Science from Stanford University
• BS in Product Design from Stanford University

Sterman's research examines creative process across multiple domains including writing, CS education, and design. She applies computational approaches to understand and enhance creative work, with recent focus on AI writing tools and how they impact creative expression. Her work consistently explores how documentation practices support reflection and learning in creative processes, examining both digital and analog approaches to creative work.

Her publication portfolio reveals a consistent trajectory exploring creative process support, with recent work heavily focused on AI writing tools and their impact on creative expression. The research spans technical development of novel tools, empirical studies of creative practices, and theoretical frameworks for understanding creativity in digital contexts. Keywords across her work include human-computer interaction, creative tools, documentation, and educational technologies.

Notable honors include:

• Google Academic Research Award (2024) for "Teaching Debugging Skills in an Age of LLMs"
• Best Paper Award at CHI 2023 for "Kaleidoscope: A Reflective Documentation Tool"
• Best Paper Award at C&C 2022 for "Creative and Motivational Strategies of Expert Creative Practitioners"
• Best Paper Honorable Mention at CHI 2018 for "MatchSticks: Woodworking through Improvisational Digital Fabrication"

Sterman has received significant grant support including the Google Academic Research Award of $100,000 for her work on teaching debugging skills with AI. She actively mentors graduate students interested in HCI, creativity, and education, teaching courses including CS 591 IC (Interactive Computing) and CS 598 MPL (Methodological Pluralism). Her teaching philosophy emphasizes bringing whole perspectives to computing research.

She leads the Process, Interaction, and Creativity Lab (PICL) at UIUC, which focuses on understanding creative process and building computational tools to enhance creative work. The lab brings together researchers from computer science, design, and humanities to explore both technical and theoretical aspects of creativity support.