Yuan Zhao - ECE PhD Student of the Month - August 2023
Yuan Zhao is in his third year of pursuing his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering. Under the advisement of Dr. Ali Abdi at the Center for Wireless Information Processing, his research focuses on developing engineering-oriented methods to model decision making processes with rational inattention in economics and financial markets.
What would you say that could be the next big thing in your area of research?
The rational inattention model was introduced by Christopher A. Sims, who won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 2011. It has been a center of study over a couple of decades and has received attention from many researchers and for different applications. The next big thing in rational inattention is anticipated to arise from interdisciplinary collaborations among fields such as communication theory, computer science and artificial intelligence. Through the integration of insights from diverse disciplines, researchers can move towards developing more realistic models for information processing and decision making. This is the direction of my current research efforts.
Other than presenting research papers, the networking and in-person discussion at conferences can help one's PhD study a lot. Please share your experience of attending a conference.
I had the opportunity to present my paper and research at the Conference on Information Sciences and Systems (CISS), held at Johns Hopkins University. It was a wonderful experience. Firstly, I had the chance to learn about several brand-new ideas and concepts, by listening to the presentations of other researchers. Additionally, during dinner times, I met many passionate researchers who provided me with valuable advice on research, career development, and beyond.
You joined NJIT one semester before the pandemic. Looking back to the lockdowns now, what do you say are the benefits of on-campus activities and in-person interactions for life and study?
It’s a fortune that our campus has reopened timely and smoothly! We can now enjoy on-campus activities on all aspects, ranging from efficient and inspiring research discussions to interesting student events that come with games, food, and giveaways! Moreover, we get to be inspired by students from various majors, countries and cultures. The lockdowns during the pandemic did give me some quiet time to focus on studies, though in-person activities are necessary to form a healthy balance.