I am in the academic job market. I am currently seeking a teaching-focused faculty position in computer science for Fall 2027. Please feel free to view my CV or contact me if you think I may be a good fit for your department.

About

I am a Ph.D. candidate in Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Michigan, where I am advised by Professor Westley Weimer. My areas of research broadly span software engineering and human factors.

I also help maintain the CS Grad Application Guide, which provides resources and guidance for prospective applicants to computer science graduate programs.

Recent Highlights

  • Aug. 2026. Received the Computer Science and Engineering Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award for my teaching in Winter 2026.
  • April 2024. Received an ACM Distinguished Paper Award at ICSE.
  • April 2023. Awarded the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (Personal Statement (avaliable upon request), Research Statement (avaliable))
  • Feb. 2023. Passed the Qualifying Exams

Teaching

Instructor of Record

EECS 481: Software Engineering

University of Michigan

Other Teaching Experience

EECS 481: Software Engineering

Graduate Student Instructor (Teaching Assistant), University of Michigan · Fall 2024

EECS 590: Advanced Programming Languages

Course Staff, University of Michigan · Winter 2025

CS125: Introduction to Computer Science I

Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, Coe College · Spring 2019

Research

My research lies in the human aspects of software engineering. I use empirical methods to understand how developers, particularly novice developers and student programmers, reason about code, debug software, collaborate, and use development tools.

Programming Cognition

I investigate how developers reason about code while performing software engineering tasks. My work uses both objective (e.g., medical imaging) and self-reported (e.g., surveys) methods to better understand the cognitive processes that shape programming performance, with the goal of informing the design of software engineering tools and instructional strategies that better support programmers.

Indicative paper(s):

  • Towards a Cognitive Model of Dynamic Debugging: Does Identifier Construction Matter?
  • Causal Relationships and Programming Outcomes: A Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Experiment.

    • Programming Interactions

    I study how developers interact with one another and with software engineering tools while completing programming tasks. My work examines peer support, communication, and developer-tool interactions to better understand how these interactions influence programming outcomes.

    Indicative paper(s):

  • An Empirical Study of Anonymous, Unmoderated, and Online Peer-to-Peer Programming Tutoring Conversations
  • CirFix: Automated Hardware Repair and Its Real-World Applications

    • Programming Environments

    I investigate the behavioral factors that influence programming outcomes. My work examines how developers' behaviors, as well as the educational and professional environments in which they work, shape programming performance, collaboration, and evaluation.

    Indicative paper(s):

  • Sweat the Details: Exercise Breaks and AI Assistance in Code Summarization.
  • An Analysis of Sex Differences in Computing Teaching Evaluations.

    • Peer-Reviewed Publications

    1. Amy Wei, Priscila Santiesteban, and Westley Weimer. Sweat the Details: Exercise Breaks and AI Assistance in Code Summarization. IEEE TSE, 2026. [ replication package ]
    2. Priscila Santiesteban, Emma Shedden, Madeline Endres, and Westley Weimer. An Empirical Study of Anonymous, Unmoderated, and Online Peer-to-Peer Programming Tutoring Conversations. SEET@ICSE, 2026. [ replication package ]
    3. Danniell Hu, Priscila Santiesteban, Madeline Endres, and Westley Weimer. Towards a Cognitive Model of Dynamic Debugging: Does Identifier Construction Matter? IEEE TSE, 2024. [ data and materials ]
    4. Hammad Ahmad, Madeline Endres, Kaia Newman, Priscila Santiesteban, Emma Shedden, and Westley Weimer. Causal Relationships and Programming Outcomes: A Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Experiment. ICSE, 2024. ACM Distinguished Paper Award. [ artifact ]
    5. Priscila Santiesteban, Yu Huang, Hammad Ahmad, and Westley Weimer. CirFix: Automated Hardware Repair and Its Real-World Applications. IEEE TSE, 2023. [ artifact ]
    6. Priscila Santiesteban, Madeline Endres, and Westley Weimer. An Analysis of Sex Differences in Computing Teaching Evaluations. GE@ICSE, 2022. [ dataset ]
    7. Chu-Pan Wong, Priscila Santiesteban, Christian Kästner, and Claire Le Goues. VarFix: Balancing Edit Effectiveness in Automated Program Repair. ESEC/FSE, 2021.

    Undergraduate Researchers

    Amy Wei

    University of Michigan (2025-2026). Now Ph.D. student in Computer Science at the University of Massachussets-Amherst. First author on Sweat the Details: Exercise Breaks and AI Assistance in Code Summarization .

    Emma Shedden

    University of Michigan (2024-2025). Now Ph.D. student in Computer Science at the University of Pennsylvania. Co-author on An Empirical Study of Anonymous, Unmoderated, and Online Peer-to-Peer Programming Tutoring Conversations.

    Danniell Hu

    University of Michigan (2022-2023). Now Ph.D. student in Computer Science at the University of Michigan. First author on Towards a Cognitive Model of Dynamic Debugging: Does Identifier Construction Matter?

    Contact

    The best way to reach me is by email at pasanti@umich.edu.