My name is Yi (Evie) Zhang, a first year PhD student in the Computer Science department at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. My research focuses on human-computer interaction (HCI), Human-centered artificial intelligence (HAI), and AI safety. I am interested in building autonomous AI systems that aligns with human values while safeguarding human agency and control. Currently, I am supervised by Prof. Ge Wang, co-advised by Prof. Varun Chandrasekaran.

I am always keen on exploring the ethical, political, and cultural impacts of technical systems. I earned my B.A. in Japanese Language and Literature from Renmin University of China. While there, I became interested in the intersection of technology and social science, which led me to pursue further study and research in Computer Science and HCI. Later, I obtained my Master’s degree in Software Engineering from the University of California, Irvine.

I like interdisciplinary research, learning and produce knowledge. Outside of research, I love literature, movies, and enjoy writing and photography.