Outside academia, I have also had lots of fun working at
Microsoft AI
and
iFLYTEK.
I am looking for full-time Applied Scientist / Research Scientist roles; feel free to
contact me regarding research collaborations
and potential job opportunities.
Research
My research lies at the intersection of Responsible AI and Educational Data Science,
examining how AI methods can be responsibly developed and applied in real-world contexts.
I am currently exploring and interested in the following topics:
Validity-Centered Evaluation: Advancing more reliable and theoretically grounded
evaluation methods for large language models (LLMs) and AI systems, with a focus on construct
validity, consistency across tasks, and alignment with real-world goals.
Responsible Predictive Modeling: Examining challenges of algorithmic fairness and
data privacy in transfer learning, and the responsible development and use of predictive models in
educational data mining and learning analytics, aiming to democratize access to trustworthy
educational models, especially in under-resourced contexts.
Impact of AI Technologies: Understanding how AI technologies reshape teaching
and learning, and their broader impact on society.
Attending to Distribution Shifts: Decomposing Transfer Performance of Educational Predictive ModelsChengyuan Yao, Rebecca Su, Christopher Brooks, René F. Kizilcec, Renzhe YuPoster presentation, Education Data Science Conference (EDS), 2026
Why Educational Predictive Models Fail to Transfer: A Distribution Shift DecompositionChengyuan Yao, Rebecca Su, Rene Kizilcec, Christopher Brooks, Renzhe YuOral presentation, 12th International Conference on Computational Social Science (IC2S2 '26)
Are Online Discussion Forums Falling Behind in the Age of AI? Preliminary Evidence from Students' Cognitive and Social Engagement Shifts in 370,000+ PostsZhen Xu, Yijun Dai, Chenxi Shi, Siyan Li, Chengyuan Yao, Renzhe YuOral presentation, 12th International Conference on Computational Social Science (IC2S2 '26)
Responsible AI for Educational EquityZhen Xu, Chengyuan Yao, Renzhe YuPoster presentation, Columbia Data Science Day, 2025
Improving Student Success in Online Postsecondary STEM Courses through Technology-Based InterventionsPaul Burkander, Renzhe Yu, Hui Yang, Qican Cao, Jessica Mislevy, Xiaoying Lin, Chengyuan YaoPaper presentation, Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness (SREE), 2024
.
