Yan Leng

Yan Leng is an Assistant Professor at the McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin, with a courtesy appointment at the School of Information. He is a core member of the UT Machine Learning Lab and affiliated with MIT Media Lab. His PhD from MIT Media Lab (2020) and dual Master's degrees in Computer Science and Transportation Engineering (MIT) underpin his research in interpretable AI, network dynamics, and human-centric machine learning.

• Education:
• PhD, MIT Media Lab (2020)
• Dual Master's in Computer Science & Transportation Engineering, MIT

Research focuses on interpretable machine learning for networks, generative AI ethics, and network spillover dynamics. His work bridges computer science, economics, and social sciences, with grants from NIH, NSF, and industry partnerships. Notable achievements include a $1M NIH grant for mental health AI tools and multiple best paper awards at INFORMS conferences.

Award-winning educator, recognized with the Trammell/CBA Teaching Award and McCombs BBA Honor Roll. Active in grant-funded projects addressing AI fairness, urban mobility, and behavioral economics.