• Max Chen
  • Known Alias: Jingru Chen
  • she/her
  • Fuller Lab B16
  • Worcester Polytechnic Institute
  • 100 Institute Rd
  • Worcester, MA, 01609

Hello!

I am a first year PhD student at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and a proud member of Crafting Computational Crafting (CCC) Lab, Intentional Design Studio and HCI Lab. I am interested in exploring design strategies that leverage biofeedback and neurofeedback to enhance user experiences in immersive environments such as video games, virtual reality, and augmented reality. As a research assistant at WPI Academic & Research Computing, I design, develop, and evaluate digital media products that support and promote faculty research, teaching, scholarship, and external partnerships.

Prior my life as a developer and HCI researcher, I majored in Pharmaceutical Engineering and obtained a Bachelor’s degree from Wuhan University of Technology (WHUT), Wuhan, China in 2020. I worked with Prof. Yihua Yin in particle drug delivery system, and interned as clinical research associate at Novartis. Through these experiences, I discovered the potential benefits of informative systems and immersive technologies in the medical industry, particularly in the areas of rehabilitation training and education. The COVID-19 pandemic led me to consider the potential and challenges of remote learning in immersive environments, which ultimately inspired me to transition into a developer and HCI researcher.

News

3/14/2023

I am selected for a travel award (Registration + $950) from the 2023 Foundations of Digital Game Travel Assistance Program (TAP), thanks to a generous donation from the Microsoft Corporation (and specifically, Kent Foster, who co-founded the conference series).

3/7/2023

Our project Supporting WPI Women in STEM Education Research for funding at $11,478 by WIN (Women’s Impact Network) Impact Grant!

1/13/2023

Our paper Impact of BCI-Informed Visual Effect Adaptation in a Walking Simulator is accepted for inclusion to the 2023 Foundations of Digital Games (FDG) as a full paper!

1/2023

I am elected as the guratuate student representative for the IMGD Steering Committee and Senator for the Graduate Student Government.

12/2022

I submitted my master thesis and fulfilled all the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Interactive Media and Game Development.

11/1/2022

It was a great pleasure to mmet with girls at Latino Education Institute @ Wocester State University. Girls designed and fabriacted lighted-up bracelets. Special thanks to Kathleen Orengo, Ceren Yılmaz Akkaya, Erika Collin-Ulloa, Nellie Rushton and Noemi Robertson for organizing the event, and Central MA STEM Network (CMSN) Ecosystem for funding our event.

9/6/2022

I am selected to be a graduate mentor in WPI's Women's Research and Mentorship Program (Grant-funded, $1500). Special thanks to Katherine Chen and Nicole Anterni for organizing WRAMP, and WPI Women's Impact Network, Intel, Sampe Foundation and Teradyne for supporting WRAMP.

8/15/2022

I am thrilled to announce that I will continue my Ph.D study in Computational Media with Prof. Gillian Smith and Prof. Erin Solovey.

2/17/2022

Our team has won the 3rd prize in WPI's 14th Annual Sustainability Project Competition! (Award $500, team members are Varun Bhat, Shano Liang, Mikel Matticoli)