Zoe Pfister

PhD student at the University of Innsbruck.

Zoe Pfister is a PhD Student conducting research on Human-Machine Teaming (HMT) in Adaptive Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), with a strong focus on integrating ethical considerations and human values into system design. She is passionate about advancing adaptive systems that align with human principles and support meaningful teamwork between humans and machines. Outside her research, Zoe enjoys music, video games, and anime.

Work Experience

May 2024 – Present

PhD Student researching on the topic of Human-Machine Collaboration and Ethical Considerations in Cyber-Physical Systems. Supervised by Ass.-Prof Michael Vierhauser and Univ.-Prof. Dr. Ruth Breu.

I also teach proseminars for the courses Software Architecture and Software Engineering.

Jul 2021 – Apr 2024

Worked on several research projects with incredible people, including:

  • FORTE – An in-forest measurement station with wireless-sensor-network capabilities to receive spatially distributed data. Read the paper →
  • TEAMBuilding – A system for enhancing the efficiency of municipal buildings through analysis and monitoring. Visit project →
  • SensorBIM – A system for retrieving, storing, and visualizing measurement data from various proprietary sensors within a building. Visit project →
Apr 2020 – Mar 2024

Helped to maintain the various services and digital archives of the Innsbruck Newspaper Archive. Also supported the department in solving technical problems of all sorts. Worked with web-archival tools such as Heritrix and browsertrix as well as in-house software. Maintained their Linux server systems.

Education

MSc Computer Science

University of Innsbruck

Dec 2019 – Apr 2024

Thesis on Concepts and Implementation of a Wireless Sensor Network for Forest Environment Monitoring. Supervised by Univ.-Prof. Dr. Ruth Breu.

Read Thesis

BSc Computer Science

University of Innsbruck

Oct 2016 – Nov 2019

Thesis on Hidden Overlay Networks: Empirical Feasibility Study Using Minecraft as an Example. Supervised by Patrik Keller, MSc. Written in German.

Matura

PORG Volders | Music Specialization

Jun 2016

Skills

Technical Skills

Java, C++, Python, React (TS)
I use Java and React during teaching. Personally, I enjoy C++ for its no-magic philosophy and use Python for everyday tasks.
ESP32 & Sensors
Extensive work with ESP32s during Master Thesis. I love building software for microcontrollers.
Linux Systems
Experience with Linux server administration, the command line, nginx, dealing with legacy software, ...

Hobbies

Playing & Creating Video Games
I enjoy playing and creating video games. I have created a few small games as part of game jams with my friends. Check them out on my itch.io page →.
Making and Listening to Music
I started playing the guitar and singing when I was very little. Piano followed in high-school. I consider my main instrument to be my voice and had the honor to participate in two charity concerts in 2024 and 2025. I also listen to a lot of music and am open to most genres (besides German Schlager).

Research Interests

Languages

🇦🇹 German
Native
🇬🇧 English
Fluent