Curriculum Vitae
Swan Hall #B102
Occidental College
1600 Campus Road
Los Angeles, CA 90041
(323) 341-4116
justinnhli@oxy.edu
https://justinnhli.com/
@justinnhli
Research Interest
My research is broadly on the strategies that people and artificial agents might use in their search for knowledge during problem solving, from indicators that more knowledge is needed, to strategies for acquiring that knowledge, to the mechanisms, algorithms, and representations of knowledge for efficient retrieval.
Experience
| Associate Professor in Computer Science and Cognitive Science, Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA. | 2021 – present |
| Assistant Professor in Computer Science and Cognitive Science, Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA. | 2015 – 2021 |
| Graduate Student Research Assistant, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. | 2009 – 2015 |
| Engineering Teaching Consultant, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. | 2012 – 2014 |
| Teaching Assistant, Center for Talented Youth, Baltimore, MD. | 2008 – 2009 |
| Teaching Assistant, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL. | Spring 2009 |
| Gateway Science Workshop Facilitator, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL. | 2006 – 2009 |
Education
| PhD in Computer Science. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. | 2016 |
|
BS in Computer Science, cum laude. Northwestern University, Evanston, IL. with a Certificate in Engineering Design |
2009 |
Publications
Undergraduate co-authors are marked with an asterisk ().
Journal Articles
| Justin Li. Explorable Web Apps to Teach AI to Non-Majors. The Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges, 34(4), 128-133. | 2019 |
| Justin Li and Emma Kohanyi. Towards Modeling False Memory with Computational Knowledge Bases. Topics in Cognitive Science (TopiCS), 9(1), 102-116. | 2017 |
Peer-Reviewed Conference Papers
| Justin Li, Bryce Boyle. Towards a Computational Model of a Dynamic Feeling of Knowing. In Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Cognitive Modeling (ICCM). | 2022 |
| Justin Li. Integrating Declarative Long-Term Memory Retrievals into Reinforcement Learning. In Proceedings of the 8th Annual Conference on Advances in Cognitive Systems (ACS). | 2020 |
| Justin Li. A Heuristic Strategy for Identifying Misclassified Data Using Classification Labels. In Proceedings of the 7th Annual Conference on Advances in Cognitive Systems (ACS), 75-93. | 2019 |
| Justin Li and Emma Kohanyi. Towards Modeling False Memory with Computational Knowledge Bases. In Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Cognitive Modeling (ICCM). | 2016 |
| Justin Li, Steven Jones, Shiwali Mohan, and Nate Derbinsky. Architectural Mechanisms for Mitigating Uncertainty during Long-Term Declarative Knowledge Access. In Proceedings of the 4th Annual Conference on Advances in Cognitive Systems (ACS). | 2016 |
| Justin Li and John E. Laird. Spontaneous Retrieval for Prospective Memory: Effects of Encoding Specificity and Retention Interval. In Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Cognitive Modeling (ICCM), 142-147. | 2015 |
| Justin Li and John E. Laird. Spontaneous Retrieval from Long-Term Memory in a Cognitive Architecture. In Proceedings of the 29th AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), 544-550. | 2015 |
| Justin Li and John E. Laird. The Computational Problem of Prospective Memory Retrieval. In Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Cognitive Modeling (ICCM), 155-160. | 2013 |
| Justin Li and John E. Laird. Preemptive Strategies for Overcoming the Forgetting of Goals. In Proceedings of the 27th AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), 1234-1240. | 2013 |
| Nate Derbinsky, Justin Li, and John E. Laird. A Multi-Domain Evaluation of Scaling in a General Episodic Memory. In Proceedings of the 26th AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), 193-199. | 2012 |
| Justin Li, Nate Derbinsky, and John E. Laird. Functional Interactions between Memory and Recognition Judgments. In Proceedings of the 26th AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), 228-234. | 2012 |
Peer-Reviewed Symposia Papers, Edited Commentaries, and Other Publications
| Justin Li, Steven Jones, and John E. Laird A Rational Analysis and Computational Modeling Perspective on IAM and Déjà Vu. Commentary on Barzykowski and Moulin (2023), Are involuntary autobiographical memory and déjà vu natural products of memory retrieval? In Behavioral and Brain Sciences, (in print). | 2023 |
| Justin Li and John E. Laird. Preliminary Evaluation of Long-term Memories for Fulfilling Delayed Intentions. In Papers from the 2011 AAAI Fall Symposium Series: Advances in Cognitive Systems (ACS), 170-177. | 2011 |
Peer-Reviewed Abstracts
| Justin Li. Weaving Diversity and Inclusion into CS Content. In Proceedings of the 48th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE). | 2017 |
| Nate Derbinsky, Justin Li, and John E. Laird. Algorithms for Scaling in a General Episodic Memory (Extended Abstract). In Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems (AAMAS), 1387-1388. | 2012 |
Invited Panels
| ACS Academia Panel, at the Proceedings of the 8th Annual Conference on Advances in Cognitive Systems (ACS). | 2020 |
Workshop Presentations
| Retracing the Rational Analysis of Memory, at the 34th Soar Workshop | Summer 2014 |
| Do's and Don't's of Episodic Memory, at the 31st Soar Workshop | Summer 2011 |
Grants
| Ron Buckmire, Justin Li, Amanda Zellmer (PIs), Carmel Levitan, Eileen Spain (co-PIs). Evaluating Effective Inclusive Teaching and its Use for Faculty Promotion and Tenure, HHMI Inclusive Excellence 3 Initiative, $535,000. | 2022 |
| Gretchen North (PI), Janet Scheel, Ron Buckmire, Aleksandra Sherman, Justin Li (co-PIs). Creating Opportunities for High-Achieving Students in Science and Mathematics through Scholarships, Research Experiences, Leadership, and Community, NSF S-STEM, $1,000,000. | 2020 |
| Justin Li (PI). Attendee Support for the 2020 AAAI Doctorial Consortium, NSF, $17,100. | 2020 |
| Justin Li (PI), Jeff Cannon, Diana Ngo, Janet Scheel, Amanda Zellmer (co-PIs). Acquisition of a High-Performance Computing Cluster for Occidental College, NSF MRI, $493,878. | 2019 |
Teaching
College Courses
| Occidental College: | 2015 – present |
| University of Michigan, Ann Arbor: | 2009 – 2015 |
Northwestern University:
|
Spring 2009 |
Guest Lectures
| Computational Redistricting for the Multicultural Summer Institute | Summer 2019 |
| Beyond Cool Apps: Doing Research in CS for the Occidental Summer Research Program | Summer 2017 |
| Where is the Gender in AI? in From Cyborgs to Siri: Gender, Technology and Media | Fall 2016 |
Workshops, Summer Camps, and Peer Tutoring
| Computer Science and Middle/High School Math/Science, for the OxyMS Teaching Scholars Summer Institute | Summer 2017 |
| Scratch and AppInventor for Middle/High Schools, for the OxyMS Teaching Scholars Summer Institute | Summer 2016 |
| Teaching Problem Solving Skills, with Elizabeth Stewart for the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching | Fall 2014 |
| Seven (Simple) Strategies to Improve your Teaching, with Bryce Wiedenbeck for the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching | Winter 2013 |
| Handling Office Hours, with Karishma Collette for the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching | Winter 2013 |
| Agent Based Modeling Mini-Course | Winter 2012 |
| Introduction to Robotics | 2008 – 2009 |
| Engineering Analysis | 2006 – 2009 |
Undergraduate Mentoring
| Lijia Li: Comparing Word Embeddings and Information Retrieval Approaches to Affordance Extraction | 2018 |
| Chloe Zeller: Efficient Search over Episodic Memory using Classification Labels | 2017 |
| Abel Quintero: At the Crux of Memory Search and Web Search | 2016 |
| Nick Trzcinko: Exploring the Problem Space of Memory Queries | 2015 – 2016 |
| Emma Kohanyi: Towards a Computational Model of False Memory Acquisition Through the Deese, Roediger, McDermott Task (1995) | 2015 – 2016 |
| Saleem Karamali: Automatic Extraction of English Loanwords from Urdu Text | 2015 – 2016 |
| Arthur Wandzel: Solving the Tower of Hanoi Puzzle in Soar via an Activation-Based Model of Memory | 2014 |
Service
| Core Steering Committee | 2017 – 2022 |
| Computer Science Advisory Committee | 2015 – 2017 |
| GSI/IA Practice Teaching Facilitator | 2012 – 2014 |
| CSEG Secretary, University of Michigan | 2012 – 2013 |
| Reviewer for AAAI, AI Review, Cognition, GHC, IJAIT, IJCAI, ITICSE, NCWIT Seed Fund, SIGCSE |
Awards
| Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award, EECS Department, University of Michigan | Fall 2009 |
Software
| Justin Li and Uri Wilensky (2009). NetLogo Sugarscape 1 Immediate Growback Model. Center for Connected Learning and Computer-Based Modeling, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL. | 2009 |
| Justin Li and Uri Wilensky (2009). NetLogo Sugarscape 2 Constant Growback Model. Center for Connected Learning and Computer-Based Modeling, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL. | 2009 |
| Justin Li and Uri Wilensky (2009). NetLogo Sugarscape 3 Wealth Distribution Model. Center for Connected Learning and Computer-Based Modeling, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL. | 2009 |
Media Appearances
|
How Reddit.com’s /r/professors Provides a Glimpse Into Future Brand Issues for Universities.
Inside Higher Ed, April 2, 2020. [I'm the "mathematics professor" whose YouTube lecture was taken down.] |
| What Do You Need? AI Might Soon Know Before You Do. PC Magazine, August 16, 2018. |
| A new kind of computer science major delves into how technology is reshaping society. LA Times, March 13, 2018. |
| Terminator 2 took aim at the ethics of artificial intelligence. AV Club, September 23, 2016. |
Design
| Engineering Design Portfolio | Spring 2009 |