With ChatGPT all over the news right now, many are focused on the applications of artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning — including Pierre Baldi, long an expert in the field. Yet the Distinguished Professor of computer science in UC Irvine’s Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences (ICS) is also closely examining the theoretical side of AI. His recently co-authored paper in the journal Artificial Intelligence, “The Quarks of Attention: Structure and Capacity of Neural Attention Building Blocks,” is one of the first theoretical papers on the topic of attention, which is playing a big role in today’s application of AI.

Whether she’s meeting a colleague for coffee, asking students to perform a skit in class, or trying to pair IT professionals with computer science majors, Associate Professor of Teaching Jennifer Wong-Ma is bringing people together. “I keep coming back to that idea of community,” she says of her work to engage with faculty and students and bridge the gap between academia and industry.

Originally from China, Jixing Bian moved to Phoenix, Arizona, in 2012. After graduating from high school, he joined the U.S. Army and served from 2015 through 2018. After his service ended, he worked for a while as a sales consultant at a car dealership in California. In 2020, he decided to continue his education at Citrus College, where he worked as a work-study student in the Veterans Office. Bian is now a computer science major in the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences (ICS) and expects to graduate in 2024. As a recent transfer student, he looks forward to meeting other veteran students and staff members at UCI.

Zixu Yu was thrilled to join the Anteater family this year as a computer science major in the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences (ICS). Returning to school after four years in the Marine Corps required him to step outside his comfort zone, but he hopes to one day return to serving his country by working at a military research facility. He also wants others to understand the opportunities of service. “I want the younger generation to know that the military can be a place to express their talent.” Here, Yu shares about his service in the Marines and plans for Veterans Day.

EVENT:  The Hasso Plattner Institute (HPI) Research Center in Machine Learning and Data Science at UC Irvine, founded in 2020, invites guests to a symposium and (COVID-delayed) grand opening to learn more about the innovative AI research of UCI and HPI students and faculty.

Tucker Goldman travelled all around the world during his five years of service in the U.S. Air Force. Now, he is settling into life as a computer science major in the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences (ICS). Learn here about his time in the service and future plans.

Recognizing the importance of cross-disciplinary work, computer science Ph.D. student Markelle Kelly is partnering with cognitive scientists on her research into human-machine collaboration. “Collaborating with people who are really knowledgeable in this realm results in a much more useful framework than if machine learning researchers tried to reinvent the wheel ourselves,” she says, highlighting ongoing research efforts between UC Irvine’s Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences (ICS) and the Department of Cognitive Sciences. In fact, her collaborative approach has helped her earn multiple fellowships at UCI. Last summer, she received a fellowship through UCI’s Steckler Center for Responsible, Ethical, and Accessible Technology (CREATE), and this year she was awarded fellowships through the Irvine Initiative in AI, Law, and Society and the Hasso Plattner Institute (HPI at UCI). Here, she talks about her machine learning research and future plans.

As a freshman in high school, Matthew Sah could already envision himself thriving at UCI. That’s why he didn’t hesitate to accept his offer to become an Anteater when he was recruited to play for the UCI Men’s Tennis team the summer before his senior year.

“I really liked the campus, the location and I knew that the school had strong academics in a lot of areas,” says Sah, who is studying computer science. “Some of my favorite parts about going to UCI are the people, academics, being able to live in Newport with my friends and the food.”