Hi, I'm Joon Lee
I lower the barrier people face when entering complex systems.
I frame this as a problem of expertise asymmetry, the gap between those who understand a system and those just entering it, and design interactions that close it. I study this primarily in gaming ecosystems.
PhD Student in CS · Northeastern University · Advised by Saiph Savage
Research
CHI PLAY 2026
Understanding Game Coaching on Gig Platforms
Full paperHwiJoon Lee, Saiph Savage
FAccT 2026
How Formerly Incarcerated People Envision Technologies for Prison Parole
Full paperSaiph Savage, Jesse Nava, Wanqing Iris Zhou, HwiJoon Lee
arXiv 2025
Playing to Pay: Interplay of Monetization and Retention Strategies in Mobile Gaming
Extended AbstractHwiJoon Lee, Kashif Imteyaz, Saiph Savage
Experience
Visiting Researcher
May 2025 - PresentKorea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology · Daejeon, South Korea
Conducting research on international students employment in South Korea.
PhD Student
July 2024 - PresentCivic AI Lab · Boston, MA
Conducting HCI research to support workers and improve their workplace experiences.
Software Developer
Nov 2022 - Dec 2023PS Analytics. Co · Seoul, South Korea
Developed backend infrastructure and data processing pipeline for data analytics platforms.
Hazardous Materials Specialist
Sep 2020 - Mar 2022Republic of Korea Army · South Korea
Served as a specialist in hazardous materials detection and military intelligence translation.
Education
PhD in Computer Science
Northeastern University · Boston, MA
Seeking HCI-driven research on online communities and AI-driven insights for workers.
2025 - Present
BS in Computer Science
Northeastern University · Boston, MA
Two gap years due to military service
Cum LaudeDean's List2018 - 2025