Ying Zou

Dr. Ying Zou is a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Queen's University's Smith Engineering faculty in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. With an extensive publication record spanning from 2018 through 2025, Dr. Zou has established herself as a leading researcher in empirical software engineering with a growing focus on AI integration.

Dr. Zou's research focuses on Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence for Software Engineering (AI4SE), Software Evolution, Software Analytics, and Empirical Software Engineering. Her work bridges theoretical approaches with practical applications, examining developer behavior, code quality improvement, and AI techniques for software engineering tasks. Recent publications demonstrate a clear progression from traditional empirical studies toward more AI-centric approaches, particularly in code refactoring, type inference, and performance analysis.

Analysis of Dr. Zou's publication trends reveals a strategic evolution in her research focus. Early work centered on empirical studies of Stack Overflow and GitHub, while recent publications increasingly integrate large language models and AI techniques for software engineering tasks. Her research spans multiple dimensions including code quality, developer productivity, open source community dynamics, and performance optimization, with consistent methodological rigor in empirical validation.

Dr. Zou has served in numerous leadership roles across major software engineering conferences including ASE, ICSE, and ESEC/FSE. She has been a Program Committee member for multiple tracks and conferences, and notably served as New Faculty Mentoring Co-Chair for ESEC/FSE 2026. Her service to the community extends to organizing conference tracks, chairing sessions, and mentoring new researchers in the field.