I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University, where I lead the FLAIR Lab. Before that, I was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, working with Heng Ji. I received my Ph.D. in computer science from University of California, Los Angeles, where I worked with Kai-Wei Chang and Nanyun Peng. My research focuses on natural language processing and machine learning, with the goal of developing trustworthy and generalizable AI systems. I work on fundamental challenges in AI robustness, reliability, safety, fairness, and adaptability, aiming to ensure that large language models (LLMs) and vision-language models (VLMs) are reliable and socially responsible. Currently, my research includes several key directions: (1) Robustness and Safety of LLMs and VLMs, (2) Multimodal Reasoning and Alignment, and (3) Multilingual Understanding.

I am considering hiring one PhD student to join my group in Fall 2027 (I am not hiring for Spring 2027). I am also taking research interns and visiting students. If you are interested in large language models, vision-language models, or multilingual understanding, please check here.