Welcome! I am Yao Yao. 

I am a Ph.D. candidate in Decision and Information Sciences at the C.T. Bauer College of Business, University of Houston, affiliated with the Human-centered AI Institute. I am immensely fortunate to be advised by Prof. Meng Li.

My research focuses on human-centered AI, particularly emerging LLMs and GenAI practices that transform production and service processes. I work closely with industry collaborators and draw on a variety of empirical methods, including lab/field experiments, applied econometrics, and applied machine learning, to examine this transformation from two complementary perspectives: 

• GenAI deployment: how GenAI deployments affect human stakeholders; and 

• GenAI design: which GenAI designs can effectively and equitably support human stakeholders. 

Before my PhD, I earned my bachelor’s and master’s degrees from South China University of Technology.

I am on the 2026-2027 academic job market.