CV

Education

Northwestern University

M.S. in Computer Engineering (Thesis Track)
Sept 2023 - June 2025
Advisor: Nivedita Arora
Focus: Embedded systems, physical computing, plant-environment sensing interfaces, Human-Computer Interaction, and STEM education

Beijing University of Technology

B.S. in Computer Science
Aug 2019 - June 2023

Relevant Coursework:
Data Structures, Algorithms, Machine Learning, Software Engineering, Operating Systems, Computer Architecture, Virtual Reality, VLSI IC Design

Research Experience

Research Assistant

VAK Embodied Systems Lab, Northwestern University
March 2024 - Present

PhytoBits: A Frugal Toolkit for Exploring Plant Gas Exchange

(Manuscript submitted to ACM IMWUT 2026)

• Designed a low-cost embedded sensing system integrating CO₂, humidity, and temperature sensors to observe stomatal rhythms and distinguish photosynthesis types (including CAM behavior).
• Built microcontroller-based data acquisition pipelines for continuous environmental monitoring and physiological signal visualization.
• Collected and validated ground-truth physiological data using LI-COR gas-exchange measurements and quantitative assays (transcriptomics and acid titration workflows in progress).
• Developed inquiry-based STEM curriculum modules integrating plant physiology, embedded systems, and computational thinking.
• Conducted classroom pilot studies to evaluate learning outcomes and improve data literacy.

OECT Sensors for In-Vivo Plant Monitoring

• Developed hydrogel-based organic electrochemical transistor (OECT) sensors using PEDOT:PSS and freeze-thaw cryogels for bio-integrated sensing.
• Established electrochemical characterization workflows using PalmSens systems, including linear voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy.
• Investigated material-device interactions, hydration dynamics, and sensor stability for long-term ecological deployments.

Industry Experience

Software Engineer Intern

HiRain Technologies - Beijing, China
Mar 2023 - May 2023

• Optimized Linux real-time process performance for automotive control systems.
• Monitored CPU occupancy and execution cycles to improve scheduling efficiency.
• Built Python-based visualization tools to analyze performance bottlenecks.
• Authored technical documentation for system architecture and reliability analysis.

Software Development Engineer Intern

Shanghai Zhizhen Junzhi Technology - Beijing, China
Jul 2022 - Aug 2022

• Developed large-scale online data collection and sentiment analysis pipelines.
• Implemented web scraping automation using Selenium and WebDriver.
• Integrated BERT + LSTM models for multimodal emotion classification.

Projects

News2Video - AI-Driven Journalism Video Generation Platform

Jan 2024 - Mar 2024

• Built an end-to-end system combining Streamlit frontend, backend automation, and AI agents to convert news articles into short-form videos.
• Integrated AI APIs for script generation, narration, and image synthesis.
• Automated video editing using MoviePy and OpenCV.

Smart Desk - Cross-Device Interaction Workspace

Feb 2022 - Jun 2022

• Implemented face-recognition-based one-seat activation for cross-device continuity.
• Developed an Android app enabling gesture-based interaction (mute, volume, media control).
• Integrated computer vision (YOLOv5), mobile computing, and context-aware sensing.

Honors & Awards

• Best MS Thesis Award, Northwestern ECE (2025)
• Joint-Training Scholarship, Tsinghua University
• Academic Excellence Award, Beijing University of Technology

Service

• Reviewer, ACM CHI (2026)
• Reviewer, ACM TEI (2025)
• Science Mentor, Pederson-McCormick Boys & Girls Club (2024-Present)

Technical Skills

Programming Languages

Python, C++, C, Java, JavaScript, SQL, Rust, Verilog

ML / Frameworks

PyTorch, TensorFlow, Keras, Spring Boot

Tools & Systems

Git, Docker, AWS, Linux, Android Studio

Embedded & Hardware

Arduino, ESP32, Micro:bit, Raspberry Pi, Cadence Virtuoso