I'm a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Maryland, College Park. Prior to UMD, I was a postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern University, working with Prof. Matthew Kay and funded by CCC/CRA's CIFellows program. I obtained my Ph.D. in Computer Science from Brown University with the advisement of Prof. David Laidlaw. Before that, I received my M.Sc. degree from Tufts University with the advisement of Prof. Remco Chang, and I earned my B.Eng. degree from Shandong University, China.

I lead the FIGX Lab. Check out our website to meet the team and see what we’re working on!

Computational models—ranging from probabilistic forecasts to AI-driven foundation models—are increasingly shaping our world. It is crucial to ensure that individuals and groups, from the general public to domain experts and data scientists, can perceive, use, and develop these models effectively and responsibly.

I am broadly interested in any topic related to this vision, such as data and AI literacy, decision-making, explainable AI, human-AI interaction, and uncertainty communication (alphabetically). These themes are particularly relevant in domains such as politics, public policy, and K-12 education. My work primarily falls within the Human-Computer Interaction and Information Visualization communities but also intersects with Visual Computing and AI/ML research.

Outside of my work, I have a deep curiosity for the arts, evolution and paleontology, astronomy, and cosmology—anything that broadens our perspective on the world and beyond. ◡̈

• Application materials: PhD applications (2015), research statement (2024), teaching statement (2024), DEI Statement (2024), cover letter (2024), and CV (at the time of application).
• LaTeX templates: cover letter (node.js + LaTeX), research statement (LaTeX).
• Videos: Recent talks are posted here, including my job talk (2024).

• Past projects: course and personal projects
• Hobbies: reading, animes & manga, baking, making crafts, Lolita fashion, traveling (discontinued), etc.