Zhicong Lu

Dr. Zhicong Lu is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at George Mason University, and formerly served as an Assistant Professor at City University of Hong Kong. His research areas include human-computer interaction, social computing, computational social science, virtual and mixed reality technologies, and generative artificial intelligence. His work focuses on designing and developing systems to support social interaction, trust, engagement, creativity, and knowledge sharing, particularly in applications for virtual environments and physical spaces. He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Toronto and has received multiple awards for his research in live streaming and non-gaming live streaming, including the ACM CHI 2019 Best Paper Award and Honorable Mentions at ACM CHI 2021 and 2023. His current pursuits involve leveraging emerging media such as live streaming and generative AI models for knowledge sharing, enhancing creativity, and safeguarding intangible cultural heritage.

• 2023 – Present·George Mason University·Assistant Professor
  • Research areas include social computing, computational social science, and the application of emerging technologies in knowledge sharing and cultural heritage preservation.
• 2020 – 2023·City University of Hong Kong·Assistant Professor
  • Focused on research and teaching in the fields of human-computer interaction and social computing.
• 2015 – 2020·University of Toronto·Research and Teaching Assistant
  • Assisted research in human-computer interaction and oversaw relevant courses.
• 2019·Adobe Research·Research Intern
  • Participated in interaction design and system development based on user needs.
• 2018·Cornell Tech·Visiting Scholar
  • Explored research topics in computational social science.
• 2013 – 2014·University of Tasmania·Interaction Design Intern
  • Worked on user interface design and user experience optimization.

• 2015 – 2020·University of Toronto·Ph.D. in Computer Science
  • Specialization in human-computer interaction and social computing.
• 2013 – 2015·Tsinghua University·Master's in Information Design
  • Focused on the integration of information art design with computing technologies.
• 2009 – 2013·Tsinghua University·Bachelor's in Electronic Engineering
  • Majored in electronic engineering and game design.