Haofan Cai

Haofan Cai is a 2023 Ph.D. graduate in Computer Science and Engineering from UC Santa Cruz, soon joining the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM) as an Assistant Professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. She completed her B.S. in Communications Engineering at Southern University of Science and Technology (China), where she was the only female student in her class. Her research focuses on wireless sensing, IoT, and RFID systems, particularly their integration into healthcare and human-computer interaction applications.

Education:

• B.S., Communications Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, China
• Ph.D., Computer Science and Engineering, UC Santa Cruz (advisor: Chen Qian)

Research Interests: Haofan’s work explores wireless techniques like RFID and Wi-Fi for innovative applications. Her dissertation developed a secure, scalable RFID-based cyber-physical system to detect user-item interactions. She is inspired by J.J. Garcia-Luna-Aceves’ foundational wireless communication protocols, which underpin modern RFID systems.

Future Roles: In Fall 2023, she will teach courses on cyber-physical systems and IoT at UHM, while establishing her own research lab. She emphasizes collaboration and mentorship, particularly for undergraduate students.

Affiliations: Alumna of UCSC Baskin School of Engineering, first faculty member in the U.S. from her undergraduate institution.