Mariana Silva

For More Information

• https://mfsilva22.github.io

Education

• Ph.D., Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2009
• M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2003
• B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2001

Biography

Mariana Silva is a Teaching Associate Professor in the Siebel School of Computing and Data Science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and co-founder and CEO of PrairieLearn Inc., a company dedicated to empowering instructors with tools to enhance teaching workflows without compromising educational quality. Before joining CS@Illinois in 2017, she was a lecturer in the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering at the same university for five years. Silva has taught 11

different courses (freshman to graduate level) over the last 12 years, with enrollment of over 9000 students.

Silva holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and earned a PhD in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics from the University of Illinois in 2009. Her doctoral research focused on the theory, computation, and design optimization of systems governed by partial differential equations, addressing challenges in structural topology optimization, material design, energy mitigation, fracture mechanics, and robust optimization.

Silva has extensive experience in course development across engineering, computer science, and mathematics and is passionate about advancing teaching innovations that benefit students and instructors alike. She is an expert in the development and application of computer-based tools for teaching and learning in large STEM university courses. Her current research investigates the use of educational technologies to enhance computer-based assessments and centralized computer-based testing centers. This includes leveraging Large Language Models (LLMs) for automated short-answer grading and the creation of robust, randomized question generators to improve equity, accessibility, and scalability in teaching, learning and testing practices.

Academic Positions

• Teaching Associate Professor, Siebel School of Computing and Data Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2020 - present
• Teaching Assistant Professor, Computer Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2017 - 2020
• Curriculum Development Coordinator, Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2014 - 2017
• Visiting Lecturer, Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2012 - 2014
• Postdoctoral Research Assistant, Computational Science and Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2010 - 2012
• Graduate Research Assistant, Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2003 - 2009

Other Professional Employment

• Co-founder and CEO, PrairieLearn Inc., 2020 - present

Student Organizations

• Women in Computer Science
• Society of Women in Engineering

Research Interests

• Leveraging Large Language Models to improve teaching and learning (initial focus on course content creation and grading)
• Fostering collaborations and group work during programming activities
• Exploration of technological innovations for large-scale teaching, such as the development of online course assessments.

Selected Articles in Journals

• Morphew J., Silva M., Herman G., West M. Frequent mastery testing with second-chance exams leads to enhanced student learning in undergraduate STEM. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.3605.
• Brittain, K., M. Silva, and D. A. Tortorelli. Minmax topology optimization. Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, 45(5), 657-668, 2012, DOI: 10.1007/s00158-011-0715-y.
• Silva, M., P. Geubelle, and D. Tortorelli. Energy release rate approximation for small surface-breaking cracks using the topological derivative. Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 59(5), 925-939, 2011.
• Silva, M., M. Matalon, and D. Tortorelli. Higher order topological derivatives in elasticity. International Journal of Solids and Structures, 47(22-23), 3053-3066, 2010.
• Silva, M., D. Tortorelli, J. Norato, C. Ha, and H. Bae. Erratum to: Component and system reliability-based topology optimization using a single-loop method. Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, 41(5), 821-822, 2010 (we corrected mislabeled figures).
• Silva, M., D. Tortorelli, J. Norato, C. Ha, and H. Bae. Component and system reliability-based topology optimization using a single-loop method. Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, 41(1), 87-106, 2010.
• Silva, M., L. Borges, F. Rochinha, and L.A. Vidal. A genetic algorithm applied to composite elastic parameters identification. Inverse Problems in Science and Engineering, 12(1), 17-28, 2004.

Articles in Conference Proceedings

• Silva M., Stress Analysis in pressure vessels, XXII Scientific Initiation Journey, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2000.
• Silva M., Thermo-elastic analysis in composite materials, XXIII Scientific Initiation Journey, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2001.
• Silva, M.F.T., L. Borges, F. Rochinha, and L.A. Vidal, Genetic algorithms for identification of elastic constants of composite materials, Proceedings of the II Congresso Nacional de Engenharia Mecânica, 2002.
• Silva, M.F.T., L. Borges, F. Rochinha, and L.A. Vidal, Genetic algorithms for identification of elastic constants of composite materials, Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Inverse Problems in Engineering, 2002.
• Figueiredo, F.C., M.F.T. Silva, S.F. Bastos, F.A. Rochinha, and L.M.S.A. Borges, Numerical-experimental approach for identifying elastic constants in composites, Proceedings of I ENCONTRO DA SBPMat- BRAZILIAN MRS MEETING 2003, 2003.
• Silva, M., D. Tortorelli, J. Norato, and C. Ha, Topology optimization under stochastic loads via the single loop method, Proceedings of the 49th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, Schaumburg, IL, AIAA-2008-2288, 2008.
• Silva, M., D. Tortorelli, J. Norato, and Bae H., Topology optimization with regards to system reliability, Proceedings of the EngOpt 2008, International Conference on Engineering Optimization, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2008.
• Espinoza C.J., Sellappan P., Kriven W. M., Brittain K., Silva M., Tortorelli, D.A., Stress wave management in Alumina (A12O3) 3D ceramic laminated composite systems, Materials Science & Technology Conference and Exhibition, Ceramic Matrix Composites Symposium, Columbus, OH, October 16-20, 2011.
• Espinoza C.J., Kriven W., Tortorelli D., Silva M., Stress Wave Management in Obliquely Laminated Composite Systems, presented at 36th International Conference on Advanced Ceramics & Composites, Daytona Beach, FL, January 22-27, 2012, (Second Prize of Best Poster Awards by the Engineering Ceramics Division (ECD) of the American Ceramic Society).
• Szelengowicz I., Silva M., Tortorelli D.A., Daraio C, Topology optimization in two-dimensional highly nonlinear granular crystals with spherical intruders, SEM XII International Congress & Exposition on Experimental & Applied Mechanics, Costa Mesa, CA, June 11-14, 2012.
• Silva, M., P. Nakshatrala, and D.A. Tortorelli, A robust topology optimization approach to energy wave tailoring in linear elastic structures, 10th World Congress on Computational Mechanics, Sao Paulo, Brazil, July 8-13, 2012.
• Silva, M., D.A. Tortorelli, I. Szelengowicz, and C. Daraio, Topology optimization in two-dimensional granular crystals, ENGOTP2012 - 3rd International Conference on Engeneering Optimization, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 1-5, 2012.
• West M., Silva M., Herman G., Randomized exams for large STEM courses spread via communities of practice, Proceedings of the 122nd American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition (ASEE 2015), 26.1302.1-26.1302.15, 2015.
• West M., Silva M., Herman G., Sustainable reform of an introductory mechanics course sequence driven by a community of practice, Proceedings of the ASME 2015 International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition (IMECE 2015), IMECE2015-51493, 2015.
• Essick R., West M., Silva M., Herman G., Mercier E., Scaling-up collaborative learning for large introductory courses using active learning, TA training, and computerized team management, Proceedings of the 123rd American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition (ASEE 2016), 2016.
• Silva M., West M., Algorithmic grading strategies for computerized mechanical drawing assessments, Proceedings of the 124th American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition (ASEE 2017), 2017.
• Tucker T., Shehab S., Silva M., Mercier E., WIP: Evidence-based analysis of the design of collaborative problem-solving engineering tasks, Poster presented 126th American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference and Exposition (ASEE 2019), 2019.
• Morphew J.W., Silva M., Hermann G., West M., Improving Mathematical Problem-Solving in an Introductory Engineering Course with the Testing Effect, Proceedings of the Annual meeting of the American Education Research Association. Toronto, Canada. April 5-9, 2019.
• Tucker T., Shehab S., Silva M., Mercier E., Evidence-based analysis of the design of collaborative engineering tasks, paper accepted to appear in the 2020 American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, 2020.
• Silva M, Zilles C., West M., Measuring the score advantage on asynchronous exams in an undergraduate CS course, In Proceedings of the 51st ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE 2020), 2020.
• Salim S, Lu L, Margotta A, Livingston E, Tucker T, Silva M, Mercier E, Towards the effective implementation of collaborative problem solving in undergraduate engineering classrooms: co-designing guidelines for teaching assistants, Proceedings of the 2020 American Society for Engineering Education Virtual Annual Conference (ASEE 2020), 2020.
• Silva M., Nytko N., Shaffer E., Amos J., A case study of early performance prediction and intervention in a computer science course, Proceedings of the 2020 American Society for Engineering Education Virtual Annual Conference (ASEE 2020), 2020.
• Nytko N., West M., Silva M., A simple and efficient markup tool to generate drawing-based online assessments, Proceedings of the 2020 American Society for Engineering Education Virtual Annual Conference (ASEE 2020), 2020.
• Mohan A., Dey P., Tan S., Johnson B., Fagen-Ulmschneider W., Silva M., Introducing junto: a Web Tool to Build Project Teams based on a Bidding Strategy, Proceedings of the 2020 American Society for Engineering Education Virtual Annual Conference (ASEE 2020), 2020.
• West, M., Walters, N., Silva, M., Bretl, T., and Zilles, C., Integrating diverse learning tools using the PrairieLearn platform, In SPLICE 2021 workshop CS Education Infrastructure for All III: From Ideas to Practice at 52nd ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (2021).
• Herman, G., Jiang, Y., Jiang, Y., Poulsen, S., West, M., Silva, M., An Analytic Comparison of Student-Scheduled and Instructor-Scheduled Collaborative Learning in Online Contexts, Proceedings of the 2022 American Society for Engineering Education Virtual Annual Conference (ASEE 2022), 2022.
• Silva, M., Hieronymi, P., West, M., Nytko, N., Deshpande, A., Chuang, J., Hilgenfeldt, S., Innovating and modernizing a Linear Algebra class through teaching computational skills, Proceedings of the 2022 American Society for Engineering Education Virtual Annual Conference (ASEE 2022), 2022.
• Garcia D., Fox A., Zilles C., West M., Silva M., Terrell N., Russell S., Ambrosio E., Shakir F., A's for All (as Time and Interest Allow), Proceedings of the 54th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE 2023), 2023.
• Chen H., West M., Hilgenfeldt S., Silva M., Measuring the Impact of a Computational Linear Algebra Course on Students' Exam Performance in a Subsequent Numerical Methods Course, Proceedings of the 54th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE 2023), 2023.
• Zhao C., West M., Silva M., How much deadline flexibility on formative assessments should we be giving to our students?, Proceedings of the 2023 American Society for Engineering Education Conference (ASEE 2023), 2023.
• Gulati R., West M., Zilles C., Silva M., Comparing Student Outcomes in Online vs. In-person Sections of an On-campus Computer Science Course, Proceedings of the 2023 American Society for Engineering Education Conference (ASEE 2023), 2023.
• Morgan F., Butler L., Alawini A., Herman G., Silva M., Developing tools, pedagogies, and policies for computer-based collaborative learning activities, Proceedings of the 2023 American Society for Engineering Education Conference (ASEE 2023), 2023.
• Chen H., Fong M., Herman G., Silva M., Student Autonomy in Collaborative Learning: Effects of Meeting Time and Team Consistency, Frontiers in Education (FIE2023), 2023.
• Ferrao R., Montagner I., Silva M., Zilles C., Azevedo R., Micro-specialization as solution to open-ended project, Proceedings of the 1st ACM Virtual Global Computing Education Conference (SIGCSE Virtual 2024), 2024.
• Downey K., Miller K., Silva M., Zilles C., One Solution to Addressing Assessment Logistical Problems: An experience setting up and operating an in-person testing center, Proceedings of the 55th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE 2024), 2024.
• Gulati R., West M. Zilles C., Silva M., Comparing the Security of Three Proctoring Regimens for Bring-Your-Own-Device Exams, Proceedings of the 55th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE 2024), 2024.
• Fong M., Huang S., Alawini A., Silva M., Herman G., Exploring Computing Students' Sense of Belonging Before and After a Collaborative Learning Course, Proceedings of the 55th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE 2024), 2024.
• Montagner I., Ferrao R., Kurauchi A., Silva M., Zilles C., Evaluating mastery-oriented grading in an intensive CS1 course, Proceedings of the 54th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE 2024), 2024.
• Chang W., Ok S., West M., Hilgenfeldt S., Silva M., Effects of integrating computational tools into an introductory engineering mechanics course, Proceedings of the 2024 American Society for Engineering Education Conference (ASEE 2024), 2024.
• Sosnowski J., Baker J., Arnold O., Silva M., Mussulman D., Zilles C., West M., Reflections on 10 years of operating a Computer-based Testing Facility: lessons learned, best practices, Proceedings of the 2024 American Society for Engineering Education Conference (ASEE 2024), 2024.
• Gulati R., Zilles C., West M., Silva M., Unpacking the influence of computer-based testing modalities on student study behavior and performance, Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies (EDULEARN 2024), 2024.
• Ferrao R., Montagner I., Silva M., Zilles C., Azevedo R., Embedded-check: a Code Quality Tool for Automatic Firmware Verification, Proceedings of the 2024 Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education (ITiCSE 2024), 2024.
• Emeka C., West M., Zilles C., Silva M., A comparison of proctoring regimens for computer-based Computer Science exams, Proceedings of the 2024 Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education (ITiCSE 2024), 2024.
• Montagor I., Ferrao R., Zilles C., Silva M., Exploring different specification grading policies, Proceedings of the 55th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE 2025), 2025.
• Emeka C., Herman G., Sosnowski J., West M., Zilles C., Silva M., Measuring test anxiety of two computerized exam approaches, Proceedings of the 55th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE 2025), 2025.
• Zhao C., Silva M., Poulsen S., Language Models are Few-Shot Graders, under conference review, arXiv 2025.
• Chen Y., Zhao C., Feng K., Beckman M., Silva M., A Complete Redesign of CS1 for Engineering Students, accepted to appear in Proceedings of the 2025 American Society for Engineering Education Conference (ASEE 2025), 2025.
• Zhao C., Chen Y., Feng K., Silva M., Implementing a Tool for Structured Roles in Hybrid Collaborative Learning Environments, accepted to appear in Proceedings of the 2025 American Society for Engineering Education Conference (ASEE 2025), 2025.
• Sosnowski J., Baker J., Arnold O., Silva M., Mussulman D., Zilles C., West M., Do Centralized Testing Centers Influence Test Anxiety for Engineering Students?, accepted to appear in Proceedings of the 2025 American Society for Engineering Education Conference (ASEE 2025), 2025.

Pending Articles

• Zhao C., Silva M., Poulsen S., “Autograding mathematical induction proofs with Natural Language Processing”, AIED journal review, arXiv 2024.
• Zhao C., Silva M., Poulsen S., “Language Models are Few-Shot Graders”, AIED conference review, arXiv 2025.

Invited Lectures

• Improving assessment and learning experiences based on a data-driven approach
• Using Innovative Online Tools to Improve Learning and Students' Experience
• Innovative Online Tools to Improve Learning, Access, Equity, and Sense of Belonging

Service on Department Committees

• Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) Coordinator, Siebel School of Computing and Data Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Fall 2020 - present
• Computer Science Undergraduate Studies Committee, Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Fall 2019 - present.

Honors

• Education Innovation Fellow, Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2021-2024)

Teaching Honors

• Scott H. Fisher Computer Science Teaching Award, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2022)
• Rose Award for Teaching Excellence, Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2022)
• List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by their Students, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Spring 2017)
• List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by their Students, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Spring 2016)
• List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by their Students, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Spring 2014)
• List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by their Students, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Fall 2013)
• List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by their Students, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Spring 2013)
• List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by their Students, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Fall 2012)
• J. O. Smith Memorial Award, Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2009)

Public Service Honors

• Engineering Council Outstanding Advising Award, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2014-2019)
• Staff Award for Exemplary Service, Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Spring 2015)

Recent Courses Taught

• CS 101 - Intro Computing: Engrg & Sci
• CS 199 1PY (CS 199 PY1) - Python for Data
• CS 199 LD1 - Python and Linear Algebra Rev
• CS 199 MTS - Seminar on Assessment Design
• CS 357 (MATH 357) - Numerical Methods I
• CS 500 - Topics in Comp Ed Rsrch
• MATH 299 - Computational Tools Linear Alg
• MATH 415 - Applied Linear Algebra