Ben Zhou

For Ben Zhou, computer science runs in the family. Both of his parents are computer engineers who provided him with access to technology at a young age.

During his graduate program, the early career researcher found a sense of purpose in the study of artificial intelligence, or AI. He ultimately honed in on a type of AI known as natural language processing, or NLP. In this emerging field, researchers are finding novel ways to help computers communicate using ordinary human language. Search engines and chatbots are common examples of NLP-powered tools, but Zhou is on the frontline of efforts to advance this technology and create the next generation of AI algorithms.

Zhou joins the School of Computing and Intelligence, part of the Ira A Fulton Schools of Engineering, as an assistant professor of computer science and engineering. He received his doctoral degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He was awarded the ENIAC Fellowship and was a finalist for the Computing Research Association Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award.

He was a research intern for Amazon AWS, the Tencent AI Lab and the Allen Institute for AI. His work has been accepted for publication by numerous organizations, including the Empirical Methods in Natural Language Processing Conference and the Association for Computational Linguistics chapters.

Zhou will begin teaching in the spring with conducting the CSE 476 Introduction to Natural Language Processing course. He plans to begin building his research lab and forge strong relationships with colleagues.

“I enjoy discussions from various angles and perspectives, which I believe is key to good research,” he explains. “I often like to get an idea thoroughly examined with sanity checks and small experiments so that the eventual project will most likely succeed.”

He’s looking forward to getting settled in at the university.

“ASU has a strong faculty base in AI, so I can collaborate with many people and achieve goals I couldn’t have done elsewhere,” Zhou says. “The school also has a vibrant student body, and the greater Phoenix area is an awesome place to live.”

Meet the newest faculty members of the Fulton Schools of Engineering here.

Written by Kelly deVos