Yizhou Sun, an associate professor at the Department of Computer Science at UCLA, has been recognized by IEEE Intelligent Systems as one of the “AI 10 to Watch,” a prestigious acknowledgment of young and aspiring AI scientists. Sun’s groundbreaking work in heterogeneous information network (HIN) mining, deep graph learning, and neural symbolic reasoning has earned her this distinction. Her research has far-reaching applications across various domains, including e-commerce, healthcare, material science, and hardware design.
Additionally, Yizhou Sun was awarded the SDM/IBM Early Career Data Mining Research Award. This esteemed annual award recognizes individuals in the field of data science who have made outstanding, influential, and enduring contributions to data analysis within ten years of receiving a Ph.D. Sun’s remarkable achievements and contributions have positioned her as a leading figure in the field of data analysis.
Sun received her Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2012. Since then, her principal research interest has revolved around mining graphs and networks, which encompasses data mining, machine learning, and network science. Her pioneering work in mining HINs has paved the way for advancements in deep learning on graphs and networks. More recently, Sun has delved into the realm of graph representation learning and graph neural networks (GNNs). Her contributions in these areas have been instrumental in advancing the field. However, Sun’s ambitions go beyond traditional data representation. She envisions a future where graphs act as a “middleware” for modern AI, facilitating a deeper understanding of the world, simulation of complex systems, creation of logic-consistent content, and acceleration of innovative solutions.
Sun’s contributions to the field of AI, particularly in graph mining, deep graph learning, and neural symbolic reasoning, have garnered well-deserved recognition. Her research and innovations have advanced the understanding and application of graphs as a powerful tool in various domains. With her vision of AI becoming more intelligent through graph middleware, Sun is poised to continue pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the field of artificial intelligence. Professor Sun is outstanding as a bright rising star in her research areas and truly deserves this honor. Her contributions to the field of AI are significant, and her work continues to inspire and influence others in academia and industry.