Hanlin “Asher” Mai

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Electrical & Computer Engineering

I am a M.S / Ph.D. student in ECE at UIUC expecting to graduate May 2028, where I am advised by Prof. Svetlana Lazebnik. Before this, I received my B.S. in Computer Engineering with Highest Honors at UIUC in May 2023. During my undergrad, I worked as a Machine Learning Intern at Rivian.

Email: hanlinm2@illinois.edu

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Biography

• My name is 麦瀚林 (Mai, Hanlin), and I go by Asher.

• I was born on Sep 28, 2000 in Guangzhou, China.

• From 1st to 8th grade, I went to English School attached to Guangdong University of Foreign Studies. It was a semi-boarding school where I only went home on weekends. There, I learned how to be independent, how to speak English confidently, and how to perform in a public setting and address an audience.

• I went to Palm Valley School for 9th to 12th grade in Rancho Mirage, CA. I played Football, Basketball, Volleyball and Golf. I also did Drama and performed in 5 different shows: Treasure Island, A Few Good Men, The Crucible, Shrek the Musical, and Drowsy Chaperone.

• I got a B.S. in Computer Engineering at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in May 2023.

• I taught myself how to yoyo and performed at various events.

Research statement

My research focuses on Computer Vision and Machine Learning. I am focusing on learning what makes AI generated images look different from real images and how to bridge the gaps between them. I am also interested in how CV and ML can be used to improve our lives in areas such as productivity and accessibility. I want to investigate potential solutions to some of the ethical problems in AI and how to make AI better at problem solving without sacrificing morality.

Teaching

• Teaching Assistant for ECE 220: Computer Systems & Programming (Current)

• Course Assistant for ECE 391: Computer Systems Engineering

• Grader for ECE 120: Introduction to Computing

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