<

Wenbin Zhang

Assistant Professor

Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences

Florida International University


11200 SW 8th Street, CASE 333
Miami, Florida, USA 33199
+1 305-348-4249
11200 SW 8th Street,
CASE 333
Miami, Florida, USA 33199
+1 305-348-4249
11200 SW 8th Street, CASE 333
Miami, Florida, USA 33199
+1 305-348-4249
11200 SW 8th Street, CASE 333
Miami, Florida, USA 33199
+1 305-348-4249

Hello, my name is Wenbin Zhang (Pronouns: he/him/his; pronounced: jahng wen-bee-eehn). I am a Hakka born Assistant Professor at Florida International University, and an Associate Member at the Te Ipu o te Mahara Artificial Intelligence Institute. The main focus of my research is on designing machine learning algorithms that have theoretical performance guarantees and social consciousness. I am particularly interested in combining the aspect of gaining machine learning knowledge with an orientation towards making machine learning usable and useful for high-stakes decision-making, such as healthcare, digital forensics, finance, climate, policy, and law. To this end, I have been exploring complex real-world data (e.g., EHR, MODIS, supply chain data), under multifarious contexts (e.g., censorship, imbalance, distribution shift), subject to different metrics (e.g., fairness, regime centroids, c-index), through joyful collaboration and team work with computational scientists and domain experts. Supporting and recognizing my work, I delivered a New Faculty Highlights talk at AAAI'24, earned the NSF CRII Award and the Leibniz Fellowship, and won best paper awards/candidates at FAccT'23, ICDM'23, DAMI, and ICDM'21. Incidentally, my Erdős number is 3 (Me -> Alan Evans -> David Avis -> Erdős) as a result of the enjoyed interdisciplinary collaboration. You can read more about my research here.

I southwarded all the way to Miami from the Upper Peninsula where I held the same role at Michigan Technological University. Prior to that, I was a Postdoctoral Researcher at Carnegie Mellon University after receiving a Ph.D. degree from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. I also spent time at multiple global research centers and institutions, including L3S Research Center, University of Milano-Bicocca, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Télécom Paris, George Mason University and National Institutes of Health. I had four Stendhal syndrome years in Beijing and Tianjin before starting my study abroad in Newfoundland, where it snowed in June (not anymore due to global warming).

Aside from my obvious interest in research, I enjoy watching and playing all kinds of sports especially soccer. I had the experience of my life at Kaliningrad Stadium cheering the 2018 World Cup. I ran my very first Marathon at Virginia Beach credit to November Project. Finally, I believe Manchester is red as I thought David Beckham was cool when I was young. Him growing up, me supporting United till date.

Last but not least, I appreciate you taking the time to surf the internet this far to check up on and to read a bit of my story. Presuming I am not that boring, I encourage you to say hello before you leave for our interesting conversations to come.


News Highlights



Sep 2024

  • Co-PI on NIH R01 focusing on Health Disparities.
  • • Co-PI on NIH R01 focusing on Health Disparities.

  • I am an action editor for Neural Networks and am awaiting your submissions.
  • • I am an action editor for Neural Networks and am awaiting your submissions.


Aug 2024

  • Founding Member of the TRUST-IoT Working Group, dedicated to making AI in communications accessible to a broad audience.
  • • Founding Member of the TRUST-IoT Working Group, dedicated to making AI in communications accessible to a broad audience.

  • Two PhD students, Thang and Minh, made their way together from Hanoi to join our Panther family.
  • • Two PhD students, Thang and Minh, made their way together from Hanoi to join our Panther family.


Jul 2024

  • Our work on fairness in LLMs is featured in the ACM showcase. Check it out here and explore our repository.
  • • Our work on fairness in LLMs is featured in the ACM showcase.Check it out here and explore our repository.

  • Area Chair/Senior Program Committee at IJCAI, ICDM, ECML PKDD, ECAI, AAMAS, ICPR, CHI, AAAI, SDM and TheWebConf.
  • • Area Chair/Senior Program Committee at IJCAI, ICDM, ECML PKDD, ECAI, AAMAS, ICPR, CHI, AAAI, SDM and TheWebConf.


Jun 2024

  • Hosting high school students Ayesha and Matthew as part of the Summer Youth Internship Program.
  • • Hosting high school students Ayesha and Matthew as part of the Summer Youth Internship Program.


May 2024

  • Participated in CRA's Grand Challenges Roundtable Discussion to identify key themes for societal impact and technological advancement.
  • • Participated in CRA's Grand Challenges Roundtable Discussion to identify key themes for societal impact and technological advancement.

  • I will serve as the Student Program Chair for AIES 2024 and Travel Award Chair for AAAI 2025.
  • • I will serve as the Student Program Chair for AIES 2024 and Travel Award Chair for AAAI 2025.


Apr 2024

  • CAHSI Expanding Participation in AI meeting, in discussions concerning opportunities, policies, and actions for broadening participation in AI.
  • • CAHSI Expanding Participation in AI meeting, in discussions concerning opportunities, policies, and actions for broadening participation in AI.


Feb 2024

  • Andres, our talented undergraduate, secured Gilman Scholarships to pursue studies at IE University Madrid, following his recognition as the 2023 AEASP Scholar and the 2022 Gilman Scholar.
  • • Andres, our talented undergraduate, secured Gilman Scholarships to pursue studies at IE University Madrid, following his recognition as the 2023 AEASP Scholar and the 2022 Gilman Scholar.


Jan 2024

  • Back in Bethesda at the NIH, discussing community engagement and guidelines for transparent and ethical AI. Check our report.
  • • Back in Bethesda at the NIH, discussing community engagement and guidelines for transparent and ethical AI. Check our report.


Dec 2023

  • Selected as one of the AAAI 2024 New Faculty Highlights speakers and pumped to be back in Canada as always. • Selected as one of the AAAI 2024 New Faculty Highlights speakers and pumped to be back in Canada as always.
  • I am an associate editor for ACM Transactions on Probabilistic Machine Learning and am awaiting your submissions.
  • • I am an associate editor for ACM Transactions on Probabilistic Machine Learning and am awaiting your submissions.

  • Sribala and Karen, co-authors of their first research paper of their career, won the Best Paper Award at DME@ICDM’23. • Sribala and Karen, co-authors of their first research paper of their career, won the Best Paper Award at DME@ICDM’23.

Nov 2023

  • I will serve as the Ph.D. Forum Chair for ICDM 2024. Excited to immerse in the world of brilliant young data miners. • I will serve as the Ph.D. Forum Chair for ICDM 2024. Look forward to immersing in the world of brilliant young data miners.

Oct 2023

  • Best paper award candidate at ICDM 2023, Zichong's second best paper award out of his four publications since he joined us last fall!! • Best paper award candidate at ICDM 2023, Zichong's second best paper award out of his four publications since he joined us last fall!!
  • Participated in the convening on operationalizing the Measure Function of the NIST AI Risk Management Framework to support its expansion. • Participated in the convening on operationalizing the Measure Function of the NIST AI Risk Management Framework to support its expansion.
  • Co-organizing AI4All Ignite to provide undergraduates with essential skills for securing AI technical internships, all at no cost. • Co-organizing AI4All Ignite to provide undergraduates with essential skills for securing AI technical internships, all at no cost.

Sep 2023

  • Zhipeng reunited with his master gang, Zichong, as our second PhD student. • Zhipeng reunited with his master gang, Zichong, as our second PhD student.
  • Dr. Tawiah, supported by the NIH AIM-AHEAD fellowship as a research fellow, has joined our team to apply his expertise in sociology to the study of opioid use in society. • Dr. Tawiah, supported by the NIH AIM-AHEAD fellowship as a research fellow, has joined our team to apply his expertise in sociology to the study of opioid use in society.
  • Dr. Smith, supported by the NIH AIM-AHEAD fellowship as a leadership fellow, has joined our team to apply her expertise in data and technology to tackling barriers to health inequity. • Dr. Smith, supported by the NIH AIM-AHEAD fellowship as a leadership fellow, has joined our team to apply her expertise in data and technology to tackling barriers to health inequity.
  • I will serve as the Travel Award Chair for AAAI 2024. • I will serve as the Travel Award Chair for AAAI 2024.

Aug 2023

  • Humbled to be recognized as a Distinguished SPC for IJCAI this year.
  • • Humbled to be recognized as Distinguished SPCfor IJCAI this year.

  • We moved to FIU and are looking for new Panthers. Join our family! • We moved to FIU and are looking for new Panthers. Join our family!

Jul 2023

  • NSF travel grant to support students in an “on-ramp” into AIES, fostering a truly interdisciplinary approach to AI. • NSF travel grant to support students in an “on-ramp” into AIES, fostering a truly interdi-sciplinary approach to AI.

Jun 2023

  • My first NSF proposal was funded. Look forward to producing great results for social good! • My first NSF proposal was funded. Look forward to producing great results for social good!
  • The Best Paper Award at FAccT 2023 was clinched by Zichong's inaugural paper. Check ACM's showcase for the featuring.
  • • The Best Paper Award at FAccT 2023 was clinched by Zichong's inaugural paper. Check ACM's showcase for the featuring.
  • Karen started her master’s journey with us. • Karen started her master’s journey with us.

Apr 2023

  • I will serve as the Volunteer Chair for WSDM 2024 and Student Program Chair for AIES 2023. • I will serve as the Volunteer Chair for WSDM 2024 and Student Program Chair for AIES 2023.

Mar 2023

  • I will serve as the Publicity Chair for ICMLA 2023 and DS 2023. Please consider submitting your paper! • I will serve as the Publicity Chair for ICMLA 2023 and DS 2023. Please consider submitting your paper!

Jan 2023

  • Sneha started her master’s journey with us. • Sneha started her master’s journey with us.

Nov 2022

  • I will serve as the Student Travel Award Chair for ICDM 2023, and Web Chair for FAccT 2023. • I will serve as the Student Travel Award Chair for ICDM 2023, and Web Chair for FAccT 2023.

Oct 2022

  • Welcome Tyler, our inaugural undergrad researcher. • Welcome Tyler, our inaugural undergrad researcher.

Sep 2022

  • Dr. Ya joined us as a research fellow supported by NIH AIM-AHEAD fellowship. • Dr. Ya joined us as a research fellow supported by NIH AIM-AHEAD fellowship.

Aug 2022

  • Zichong joined our lab as the founding student member. • Zichong joined our lab as the founding student member.
  • Started my faculty position at Michigan Tech and excited to be in the Upper Peninsula for the first time. • Started my faculty position at Michigan Tech and excited to be in the Upper Peninsula for the first time.