| Curriculum Vitae
|
Research Interests
Data Visualization, Human-Computer Interaction, Augmented Reality, Applied Machine Learning
Appointments
01/2024 - Present
Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Department of Computer Science and Engineering
10/2021 - 12/2023
Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University
Visual Computing Group, with Hanspeter Pfister
10/2020 - 10/2021
Postdoctoral Researcher, University of California, San Diego
Design Lab and Creativity Lab, with Haijun Xia
Education
09/2015 - 09/2020
Ph.D. in Computer Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Advisor: Huamin Qu
Awarded Hong Kong Ph.D. Fellowship, the most prestigious fellowship in Hong Kong
09/2011 - 07/2015
B.Eng. in Software Engineering, South China University of Technology
Awarded Pacemaker to Merit Student, the highest honor (top 0.01%)
Selected Awards
2023
Best Short Paper Honorable Mention Award, EuroVis'23
2023
Best Paper Award, ACM CHI'23
2022
Best Paper Honorable Mention Award, IEEE VIS'22
2022
Best Paper Honorable Mention Award, IEEE VIS'22
2022
Certificate of Distinction and Excellence in Teaching, Harvard University
2021
Best Paper Honorable Mention Award, IEEE VIS'21
2015 - 2019
Hong Kong Ph.D. Fellowship, Research Grants Council of Hong Kong
Selected Publications
In Data Vis and HCI, IEEE VIS (or InfoVis, SciVis, VAST), ACM CHI, and ACM UIST are considered top tier conferences.
Papers in IEEE VIS will be included in the TVCG journal.
Conference
2026 C17
ViSTAR: Virtual Skill Training with Augmented Reality with 3D Avatars and LLM Coaching Agent..ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (Proc. CHI'26)
C16
Challenges in Synchronous & Remote Collaboration Around Visualization..ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (Proc. CHI'26)
C15
Can AR-Embedded Visualizations Foster Appropriate Reliance on AI in Spatial Decision Making? A Comparative Study of AR See-Through vs. 2D Minimap..ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (Proc. CHI'26)
2025 C14
Hivegen–Hierarchical LLM-based Verilog Generation for Scalable Chip Design..IEEE International Conference on LLM-Aided Design (Proc. ICLAD'25)
C13
Reality Proxy: Fluid Interactions with Real-World Objects in MR
via Abstract Representations..ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (Proc. UIST'25)
C12
SportsBuddy: Designing and Evaluating an AI-Powered Sports Video Storytelling Tool Through Real-World Deployment..IEEE Pacific Visualization Symposium (Proc. PacificVis'25)
2024 C11
WaitGPT: Monitoring and Steering Conversational LLM Agent in Data Analysis with On-the-Fly Code Visualization..ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (Proc. UIST'24)
2023 C10
Quantifying the Impact of XR Visual Guidance on User Performance Using a Large-Scale Virtual Assembly Experiment..IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (Proc. VIS'23)
C9
ARrow: A Real-Time AR Rowing Coach..Eurographics Conference on Visualization (Proc. EuroVis'23) — Best Paper Nominee
C8
iBall: Augmenting Basketball Videos with Gaze-moderated Embedded Visualizations..ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (Proc. CHI'23)
C7
DataParticles: Block-based and Language-oriented Authoring of Animated Unit Visualization..ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (Proc. CHI'23) — Best Paper
2022 C6
Millions and Billions of Views: Understanding Popular Science and Knowledge Communication on Video-Sharing Platforms..ACM Conference on Learning at Scale (Proc. L@S'22)
C5
CrossData: Leveraging Text-Data Connections for Authoring Data Documents..ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (Proc. CHI'22)
2020 C4
Augmenting Static Visualizations with PapARVis Designer..ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (Proc. CHI'20)
2016 C3
Animated Narrative Visualization for Video Clickstream Data..ACM SIGGRAPH ASIA Visualization Symposium, 2016
C2
Blossom: Design of a Tangible Interface for Improving Intergenerational Communication for the Elderly..ACM Interactive Technology and Ageing Populations (Proc. ITAP'16)
C1
STAC: Enhancing Stacked Graphs for Time Series Analysis..IEEE Pacific Visualization Symposium (Proc. PacificVis'16)
Journal
2025 J21
Programmable Reality..Frontiers in Virtual Reality, 2025
2024 J20
Sportify: Question Answering with Embedded Visualizations and Personified Narratives for Sports Video..IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (VIS'24)
2023 J19
RL-LABEL: A Deep Reinforcement Learning Approach Intended for AR Label Placement in Dynamic Scenarios..IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (VIS'23)
J18
VIRD: Immersive Match Video Analysis for High-Performance Badminton Coaching..IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (VIS'23)
J17
VoxAR: Adaptive Visualization of Volume Rendered Objects in Optical See-Through Augmented Reality..IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (TVCG'23)
2022 J16
VCoach: A Customizable Visualization and Analysis System for Video-based Running Coaching..IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (TVCG'22)
J15
The Ball is in Our Court: Conducting Visualization Research with Sports Experts..IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications (CG&A'22)
J14
Sporthesia: Augmenting Sports Videos Using Natural Language..IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (VIS'22)
J13
The Quest for Omnioculars: Embedded Visualization for Augmenting Basketball Game Viewing Experiences..IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (VIS'22) — Best Paper Nominee
J12
Exploring Interactions with Printed Data Visualizations in Augmented Reality..IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (VIS'22) — Best Paper Nominee
J11
PuzzleFixer: A Visual Reassembly System for Immersive Fragments Restoration..IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (VIS'22)
2021 J10
Augmenting Sports Videos with VisCommentator..IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (VIS'21) — Best Paper Nominee
J9
TIVEE: Visual Exploration and Explanation of Badminton Tactics in Immersive Visualizations..IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (VIS'21)
J8
Applying Machine Learning Advances to Data Visualization: A Survey on ML4VIS..IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (TVCG'21)
2020 J7
ShuttleSpace: Exploring and Analyzing Movement Trajectory in Immersive Visualization..IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (InfoVis'20)
J6
Visual Analysis of Discrimination in Machine Learning..IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (InfoVis'20)
2019 J5
Towards Automated Infographic Design: Deep Learning-based Auto-Extraction of Extensible Timeline..IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (InfoVis'19)
J4
LassoNet: Deep Lasso-Selection of 3D Point Clouds..IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (SciVis'19)
2018 J3
MARVisT: Authoring Glyph-based Visualization in Mobile Augmented Reality..IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (TVCG'18)
2017 J2
Exploring the Design Space of Immersive Urban Analytics..Visual Informatics (VI'17)
J1
StreamExplorer: A Multi-Stage System for Visually Exploring Events in Social Streams..IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (TVCG'17)
Workshop
2023 W2
Beyond Generating Code: Evaluating GPT on a Data Visualization Course..IEEE VIS'23 Workshop on VISxEdu, 2023
2017 W1
Immersive Urban Analytics through Exploded Views..IEEE VIS'17 Workshop on Immersive Analytics, 2017
Technology Report
2025 T2
Vitessce Link: A Mixed Reality and 2D Display Hybrid Approach for Visual Analysis of 3D Tissue Maps..ArXiv, 2025
2024 T1
Sketch Then Generate: Providing Incremental User Feedback and Guiding LLM Code Generation through Language-Oriented Code Sketches..ArXiv, 2024
Poster
2025 P1
Enhancing User Performance and Human Factors through Visual Guidance in AR Assembly Tasks..ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI'25)
Mentoring
PhD Student
2025
Yushen Hu, UMN CS
2024
Xianhao (Carton) Liu, UMN CS
External PhD Student
2024
Chunggi Lee, Harvard
Master Thesis Advisor
2024
Harshvardhan Chandirasekar, UMN CS
Graduate Research Intern
2025
Nanditha Naik, UMN CS
2025
Divyanshu Tiwari (Div), UMN CS
2025
James Yang, UMN CS
2025
Qinghong Fan, UMN CS
2025
Yilong Song, Brown University
2024
Zeyu Xiong, HKUST(GZ)
2024
Liwenhan Xie, HKUST
2024
Xiaoshuo Yao, USC
2024
Xiaoan (Sean) Liu, NYU
Honors Thesis Advisor
2024
Omar Elgohary, UMN CS
UROP Student
2024
Kevin Vo, UMN CS
2024
Lulin (Loren) Liu, UMN CS
2024
Kira Jiang, UMN CS
2024
Difan (Bobby) Jia, UMN CS
Summer REU Student
2025
Olivia Avila, Columbia University
2024
Junior Emilio Chaj Mejia, U of Central Florida
Direct Research
2025
Sai Surya Vamsi Krishna Kocherla, UMN CS
2025
Jiaxi Tang, UMN CS
2025
Amanda Elvarsdóttir, UMN CS
Recent Teaching
Instructor
2025 Fall
CSCI 5609: Data Visualization, UMN CS
2025 Spring
CSCI 5980/8980: AI-enabled Visual Information Systems in MR, UMN CS
2024 Fall
CSCI 8980: Visualization for Intelligent AR Systems, UMN CS
Teaching Fellow
2023 Fall
CS171: Data Visualization, Harvard
2022 Fall
CS171: Data Visualization, Harvard
2022 Spring
CS271: Topics in Data Visualization, Harvard
Teaching Assistant
2018 Fall
COMP2711: Discrete Mathematical Tools for CS, HKUST
2018 Spring
COMP4901f: Data Visualization, HKUST
Selected Services
I regularly server as reviewers for conferences and journals related to my research and thus haven’t listed them here.
Organizational Roles
2025
AgenticVis Workshop, IEEE VIS
Associate Chair of Program Committee
ACM UIST (2025 - 2026), EuroVis (2026), ACM CHI (2024 - 2026), IEEE VIS (2023 - 2025), ChinaVis (2022 - 2024), PacificVis (2022 - 2024), ACM IUI (2023), EuroVis Short Paper (2023 - 2025), ACM CHI Late-Breaking Work (2024)
Department Committee
2025
PhD Review Committee, UMN CS&E
2025
Undergraduate Scholarship, UMN CS&E
2024
Graduate Admissions Committee, UMN CS&E
2023
Graduate Admissions Committee, UMN CS&E
School and College Committee
2024
Research Travel Grant Review Committee, UMN Graduate School
Federal Grant Reviewer
2024
Panelist, NSF
2024
Reviewer, Department of Energy
Doctoral Committee
2025
WPE/OPE, Yuxiang Wan, UMN CS&E
2025
Thesis Proposal, Karin de Langis, UMN CS&E
2025
WPE/OPE, Negar Saadat, UMN CDes
2025
WPE/OPE, Talha Ahsan, UMN CS&E
2025
Thesis Final Defense, Yifeng Zhang, UMN CS&E
2025
Thesis Proposal, Yifeng Zhang, UMN CS&E
2025
Thesis Proposal, Qingyuan Jiang, UMN CS&E
2025
Thesis Proposal, Ruixuan Sun, UMN CS&E
Invited Talks
Workshop Speaker
2024
Workshop on Human-Centered Machine Learning, Apple
2023
New England Symposium on Statistics in Sports, NESSIS
2023
Workshop on Data Science and AI for Sports, ACM KDD
Seminar Talk
2024
MSSE Seminar, UMN
2024
Minnesota Robotics Institute Colloquium, Minnesota Robotics Institute
2023
Global Technology Applied Research Seminar, JP Morgan
2023
Interactive Data Exploration System (IDEAS) Lab Group Meeting, Shandong University
2023
Fudan Vis Research Group Meeting, Fudan University
2023
Intelligent Big Data Visualization Lab Group Meeting, Tongji University
2023
Summer School on Visual Analytics, Zhejiang University
2024
Software Engineering Group, ByteDance
2023
AI for Data Journalism, Buried Signals
2023
CS Seminar, TAMU
2023
iSchool Seminar, UMD
2023
CS Colloquium, UMN
2023
Computer Graphics Technology Department, Purdue
2023
School of Computer Science Seminar, University of Sydney
2021
Visual Computing Group Meeting, Harvard
2020
Design Lab Seminar, UCSD
2020
Interactive Data Exploration System (IDEAS) Lab Group Meeting, Shandong University
2019
UX group Seminar, Ant Financial
2019
VisBurgh Seminar, University of Edinburgh
2019
CS Seminar, Zhejiang Lab
Guest Lecturer
2025
Data Visualization Guest Lecture, NYU
2024
Human-AI Interaction (689) Guest Lecture, TAMU
2023
CS-5820/6820 Guest Lecture, Utah State University
2023
CSCI3311 Data Visualization , Boston College
2022
COGS 120 Guest Lecturer, UCSD
2021
Summer School on Visual Analytics, Zhejiang University
Panelist
2024
Panel on Human-AI Interaction, HCSSA
Seminar Presenter
2024
Augmented Multimodal Interaction for Synchronous Presentation, Collaboration, and Education with Remote Audiences, NII Shonan Meeting
Workshop Presentor
2023
Workshop on MR x AI, ACM UIST
2019
InfoVis x Augmented Reality Meetup, Microsoft Vancouver