Hello, beautiful people!

I am Qingxiao Zheng, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Human-Centered Computing and Social Informatics at the College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) at The Pennsylvania State University.

My research sits at the intersection of human-centered AI, human–AI interaction, agentic systems, and professional practice: the situated work through which people learn, make decisions, communicate, and deliver services in complex real-world settings. I design, develop, and evaluate responsible AI systems that make emerging technologies more useful, accessible, and accountable across professional domains such as health and rehabilitation, expert systems, and high-stakes training.

My background spans academia and industry. I hold a Ph.D. in Information Sciences from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). I was a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University at Buffalo, affiliated with the Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science (IAD), where I led HCI research at UB for the NSF National AI Institute for Exceptional Education (AI4EE), designing human-centered AI systems to support children’s speech and language learning, speech-language professionals, and families. I previously worked as Director of Data Science at a B2B AI company for several years, where I led the development of data-driven tools to support professionals’ decision-making in industry. My academic training at the School of Journalism and Communication, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) provided a foundation in social science theory and mixed-methods research that continues to inform my human-centered approach to AI.

I publish at premier academic venues across HCI and AI, including ACM CHI, CSCW, IUI, AIED, IJCAI, and journals such as Computers in Human Behavior: Artificial Humans and Computers & Education: Artificial Intelligence. My research has been supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the Organization for Autism Research (OAR), Google.org, and IBM–Illinois.

Drawing on this interdisciplinary background, I study how AI can augment professional expertise, support human decision-making, and serve the needs of diverse communities across complex work settings. I welcome collaborations with researchers, practitioners, students, and organizations interested in building human-centered and socially responsible AI systems.