Wen Xu

(she/her)

PhD Student

  • Data visualization   
  • Psychology 
  • BA in Psychology, Middlebury College 

Wen Xu is a PhD student in the Khoury College of Computer Sciences at Northeastern University, based in Boston. She is advised by Lace Padilla. 

Xu’s study of data visualization grew naturally out of her work in environmental studies and psychology. She is interested in how people's prior knowledge, experiences, and attitudes shape how they interpret visual presentations of data, and how to mitigate people's biases to promote pro-social and pro-environmental behavior. She applies theoretical insights into the human mind to the design of visual data communications. 

Before joining Khoury College in 2024, Xu researched the lifecycle of urban waste (like plastic and EV batteries) at the Institute of Urban Environment in China. She also researched conservation psychology and climate communication at Middlebury College, and helped to develop a guide for designing more effective animated visualizations at Northwestern University. She earned a Psychology Departmental Honor alongside her bachelor’s degree and has presented work at IEEE VIS. 

In her free time, Xu likes to sing karaoke, take photographs, and visit natural history museums. She has also worked as product lead for Point Taken, a game to help people have more respectful and productive disagreements.