Zixuan Feng, Ph.D.

My research focuses on understanding and improving the socio-technical dynamics of software development. I
collect data from open-source software and analyze it using mixed research methods, including statistical analysis,
grounded theory, and large language models, to develop or validate theories about software engineering processes
and outcomes. My goal is to answer questions such as: How can we empower distributed teams to develop software
effectively and productively? How can technology help software teams do more with less?

I direct the Noodle (Navigating Open-source, Organization, Developer, and Learning Ecosystems) Lab at
Virginia Commonwealth University, which I founded in 2026 to study how open-source communities sustain
themselves and how emerging tools reshape the way software teams collaborate. My work has been published in
leading venues such as ICSE, FSE, TOSEM, ESEM, IST, and CHASE. One of my papers, “When Domains Collide:
An Activity Theory Exploration of Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration,” received the Best Paper Award at ESEM
2025, with part of the research conducted during my internship at Microsoft Research. Beyond academic contributions,
I have translated my research findings into practical guidance for industry, sharing actionable insights through invited
talks at OSSNA, FOSSY, and the Linux Plumbers Conference.