Hi there! I’m a fifth-year PhD candidate in Information Studies at the University of Maryland’s College of Information (INFO), where I work with my advisor Dr. Ge Gao.

I am a mixed-methods human-computer interaction (HCI) researcher focusing on AI-assisted language use. Through a social science perspective, I contribute empirical and design knowledge on how people exercise and develop agency during and through interaction with AI systems. I examine contexts where language is used for expressing meaning, driving individual thinking, and navigating social relations.

I came to my PhD research with a background in both information and language sciences. I obtained my MS in Applied Data Science and MA in Linguistic Studies from Syracuse University. I completed my undergraduate studies at Shanghai International Studies University (SISU, 上海外国语大学) with a Bachelor of Management in Information Management and System and BA in English.

I consider research as one of the many ways I connect with myself, life, and the world we live in. Over the years of my PhD, I have been growing my collection of artsy hobbies: journaling, reading, drawing and painting (gouache and watercolor), photography, knitting, crocheting, sewing, embroidery, clay crafting, piano, and dancing. Across all these hobbies, I have come to realize that perhaps I enjoy the process of learning the "language" of a new art domain, just as much as I enjoy using it to experience and create art.

I can be reached at yxiao[at]umd[dot]edu.