Kuan Heng (Jordan) Lin, a UCLA Computer Science undergraduate, has been named a finalist for the 2024–2025 Computing Research Association (CRA) Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award. Established in 2001, this prestigious award recognizes exceptional undergraduate researchers from North American colleges and universities. Jordan was selected from hundreds of nominations and is among a small, elite group of finalists this year.
Under the mentorship of Professor Bolei Zhou, Jordan has advanced generative AI research by exploring flexible and efficient methods to control image and video generation models. His work focuses on scalable approaches that enhance how we interact with and utilize generative models to create dynamic visual environments. He presented his first-authored paper on this topic at NeurIPS, the premier AI conference, in Vancouver last December. By fortifying generative AI with autonomy, Jordan’s current research enables simulators to render realistic, safety-critical scenarios for autonomous driving and embodied agent training.
eyond his research, Jordan actively contributes to the UCLA community. He is an advisor and former co-president of the AI Committee in the UCLA ACM Student Chapter and serves on the Program Development Team for the UCLA Learning Assistant Program. Passionate about accessible education, Jordan works to break down systemic barriers in Computer Science and Machine Learning by fostering collaborative and inclusive learning environments.
Jordan’s achievements exemplify UCLA’s dedication to undergraduate research and its role in nurturing the next generation of Computer Science innovators. As he continues to push the boundaries of generative modeling, his work is poised to leave a lasting impact on academia and beyond.
Learn more about the award: CRA Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award.