Yixuan ("Janice") Zhang

Ph.D.

Pronounce as [y-ee] [sh-oo-en] [j-AH-ng]
Preferred name: Janice

Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Science
William & Mary



[Aug 2024]
Received a 3-year grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF)'s Research on Innovative Technologies for Enhanced Learning (RITEL) program (~$900,000) to develop novel LLM-powered systems to foster mathematical modeling competencies through collaborative learning, with Dr. Ziyu Yao (George Mason University), and Dr. Jennifer M Suh (George Mason University).
[May 2024]
Three papers focused on LLM X HCI got accepted by ICML! The topics include trust in LLM, Emotions in Generative AI, and competition dynamics of LLM-based agents.
[April 2024]
I received the 2024-25 W&M FRC Faculty Research Grant for research on the ethics of Generative AI and LLMs in CS education.
[Jan. 2024]
Our paper, "Profiling the Dynamics of Trust & Distrust in Social Media" was accepted to CHI'24!
[Nov. 2023]
I'll be serving as the Publication Co-Chair at ACM DIS'24 and an Associated Chair (AC) in the Program Committee at CHI'24 (LBW).
[Oct. 2023]
I received a Learn, Discover, Innovate grant from the Studio for Teaching & Learning Innovation (STLI), William & Mary to examine how to ethically leverage LLMs in computer science education.
[Sept. 2023]
I was awarded a grant from Microsoft Research to explore the interplay of emotional intelligence and LLMs.
[Sept. 2023]
I was awarded a grant from The Society of 1918, William & Mary, to study how well conversational AI supports the mental health needs of women.
[April 2023]
I passed my PhD defense! Thank you those who have helped me.
[Aug. 2022]
I was honored to be named a "Rising Star in EECS" 2022!
[Aug. 2022]
I was honored to be selected as a "Foley Scholar" (highest award for excellence in research contributions to computing) at Georgia Tech.

About

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at William & Mary. I received my Ph.D. in Human-Centered Computing from Georgia Tech in 2023.

My research broadly lies in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Human-LLM Interaction, Data Visualization (VIS), Equity, Trust and cross-disciplines of health informatics and STEM education. I regularly publish in premier HCI and visualization venues, such as ACM CHI, CSCW, and IEEE VIS. My work has been well recognized by academia: I received multiple Best Paper Awards and Honorable Mentions at top-tier venues; I was named a Rising Star in EECS 2022, and selected as a Foley Scholar (the highest award for excellence in research contributions to computing at Georgia Tech). The impact of my research extends beyond academia: I was invited to present my work focused on visualization design and online trust to broader audiences such as the World Health Organization (WHO).

In my spare time, I am a photographer .

Selected Recent Publications

See all publications (with paper PDFs, recorded talks, 30s overview videos, and tutorials available)

ICML'24
ICML'24
(Oral Top 3%)
ICML'24
CHI'24
CHI'23
(Best Paper Award)
CHI'23
(Best Paper Honorable Mention)
VIS'22
CHI'22
CHI'22
CHI'21
CHI'20
Understanding the Use of Crisis Informatics Technology among Older Adults.
VIS'19

Research Projects

Human-LLM Interaction
Overview:
Understanding the "dark" side of AI & LLM (e.g., misinformation).

Overview:
Emotional GPT: explore the emotional intelligence of LLMs.

Online Trust
From the general public's perspective:
Overview: We conducted mixed-methods, longitudinal research to examine how people’s online trust and distrust emerge, transform, and collapse in information seeking.

From designers' perspective:
Overview: We examined the design of data visualizations, e.g., who uses what data to communicate what messages, in what form, under what circumstances, to whom, and with what effect.

Data Visualization for Decision-making
Design data visualization to support sensemaking & decision-making (e.g., chronic illness, crisis).