I am a privacy researcher. My research lies in the intersection of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Privacy/Security, and Accessibility. I aim to enhance people’s privacy literacy and empower them with more control of their privacy in our increasingly complicated socio-technical environment. My research covers various technological contexts (e.g., smart homes, virtual reality, online privacy, AI) and several user groups, including at-risk populations (e.g., people with disabilities, children, and teenagers). Some recent projects include:

• Co-design privacy educational interfaces for children
• Build AI-Empowered systems to enhance users’ awareness and control of their privacy
• Design privacy notices in emerging technologies (e.g., VR, AI) and evaluate them using eye-tracking technologies
• Empower users to combat dark patterns
• Support flexible and safe self-representations for people with disabilities in social VR
• Ensure teenagers’ safety in social VR

I publish at top HCI/privacy venues, such as CHI, CSCW, SOUPS, USENIX Security, PoPETS, ASSETS, etc. My work has been generously supported by the National Science Foundation, Meta, and Google.

Prior to CS@VT, I was a postdoctoral researcher in the Institute for Software Research at Carnegie Mellon University, working with Prof. Norman Sadeh. I completed my PhD in Information Science from the School of Information Studies at Syracuse University (2020). Before I joined the PhD program at Syracuse, I was a professional software engineer at a startup in Seattle, WA. I received my Master of Science in Information Management from the Information School at the University of Washington (2014), and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Harbin Institute of Technology in China (2012).

For prospective students

I am looking for motivated students to work with me on topics related to HCI, usable privacy, accessibility, and emerging technologies. If you are interested, please send me your CV and a brief introduction of your research interests.