Yao Zhao
Yao Zhao

Website
Biography
I am a third-year CS Ph.D. student at the University of Arizona under the supervision of Dr. Kwang-sung Jun. Prior to that, I received the M.Sc degree from a joint program by ShanghaiTech University and the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the B.Sc degree from Anhui University, in 2020 and 2017 respectively. Before joining UA, my research was centered around some practical algorithm designs for the applications raised in the computer/communication networks, where I started to use bandit as a tool. At UA, I am working on the bandit problems from both the theoretical perspective (mostly) and the real-world applications (slightly).
Research Interests
Machine learning, bandit problem, mathematical optimization
What long-term project do you want to work on?
I am always interested in various provable algorithm design.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
Making a decision when facing the uncertainties (the philosophy behind the bandit problem).
What are your career goals?
I hope my professional career can find a balance between the theoretical niche and the practical value.
Tell us something interesting about yourself!
People rarely share their failures. I was the last one in the entrance examination of my high school, no kidding. After one year and a half, I was the first one.