BIOGRAPHY

Yao Rong earned her Ph.D. (Dr.rer.nat) in Computer Science from the Technical University of Munich in 2024. She previously received her M.Sc. from the same institution in 2019 and dual B.Eng. degrees from Tongji University in Shanghai and Munich University of Applied Sciences in 2016. Her doctoral research focused on integrating human factors into AI model design to enhance user experience in human-AI interactions. At Rice University, Yao continues her work by advancing the trustworthiness and user-friendliness of AI systems through the development of human-centered explainable AI techniques. She collaborates closely with Dr. Vaibhav Unhelkar in the Computer Science Department. Her overarching research aim is to design models that support safe and efficient human-AI collaboration.