Ph.D. @ MIT
Hi 👋🏻! I'm Jocelyn, a Ph.D. student at the MIT Media Lab in the Personal Robots Group, advised by Professor Cynthia Breazeal (MIT Media Lab) and co-advised by Professor Maarten Sap (CMU LTI). I graduated from MIT in 2021 with a S.B. in Computer Science (minor in Economics), and in 2023 with a S.M. in Media Arts and Sciences.
My research is broadly situated in the field of human-centered AI and aims to advance computational approaches, primarily using NLP and deep learning, for human-AI interactions that can promote social connection, empathy, and prosociality. I have published my work in both NLP + HCI venues, including ACL, EMNLP, CHI, and CSCW. My research is generously supported by an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, and I am currently an MIT Teaching Development Fellow.
This summer, I am joining 
Microsoft Research as a research intern on the Extended Perception, Interaction and Cognition (EPIC) team. Previously, I worked at Apple AI/ML as a research intern in Human-Centered Machine Intelligence. I've also held roles as a Software Engineering Intern at Facebook and Citadel, and as a Data Science Intern at Affectiva.
Aside from my work, I enjoy illustrating comics, sketching characters, and writing poems, essays, and novels. My awarded creative works center around themes of racial identity, the meaning of art, and the digital age.
You can find more information in my CV.
News + Updates
Our CHI 2025 paper eaSEL: Promoting Social-Emotional Learning and Parent-Child Interaction through AI-Mediated Content Consumption won an honorable mention (top 5% of papers) 🏆!
I received an Honorable Mention for the Jane Street Graduate Research Fellowship!
Our paper Resonance: Drawing from Memories to Imagine Positive Futures through AI-Augmented Journaling has been accepted to Augmented Humans 2025!
I passed my General Exams! Officially a PhD Candidate now :)
Excited to be joining Microsoft Research as a Research Intern this summer in Seattle! I will be working with the Extended Perception, Interaction and Cognition (EPIC) team.
Research ✨
My research focuses on developing social-emotional reasoning capabilities in artificial agents, as well as understanding the mechanisms behind human language and communicative behaviors. I use these insights to design new human-AI interactions with physically embodied or disembodied social AIs that can improve connection and foster prosocial relationships between people (AI-mediated communication/AIMC). Additionally, I am interested in evaluating the underlying capabilities, safety, and alignment of socially and emotionally intelligent AIs and place a strong emphasis on assessing the impact of interactive systems in the real world, across applications including emotional wellbeing ❤️🩹, learning 📚, and communications & storytelling 🗣️📖.
HRI 2025
CSCW 2025
AH 2025
ACII Late Breaking Report 2023
ACII Late Breaking Report 2023
AAMAS 2021
IEEE CoG 2023
Teaching 👩🏻🏫
- 6.S898 Deep Learning, MIT, Graduate TA, Fall 2023
Leadership + Outreach 💗
My work at its core aims to value the rich and diverse experiences of every individual. I strongly believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion are crucial not only for scientific advancement but also for a cohesive society. I've served in the following positions throughout the past few years:
- Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Volunteer, 2023 – 2024
Weekly volunteering to connect and assist with tasks for local older adults with low vision.
- MIT Writing and Communication Center, Graduate Community Fellow, 2023
Facilitate events to help students with writing and communication skills.
- MIT Students Offering Support Program (SOS), Volunteer, 2022 – Present
Assist underrepresented applicants to the MIT Media Lab graduate program.
- Society of Women Engineers, Executive Board, 2018 – 2021
Executive Board - Administrative Officer (2020-2021), Career Development Officer (2019-2020), and Technology Officer (2018-2019). Helped organize Grace Hopper scholarship, plan career events, and technical workshops.
Writing ✍🏻
Growing up in Los Angeles, I have always loved great films, shows, and stories. I began creative writing at an early age, and particularly love prose and poetry. My works involve themes of art, technology, and racial identity. I've also written more tech-focused pieces. Below are a few of my selected works, and my personal blog is on Medium, where I share personal essays and poems.
Novels
Time ZoneA story about racial identity and love in the digital age, told through a mixture of traditional narrative and social media messages.
Essays & Poetry
Between Barbed Wire: A Visual Analysis of TIME's Welcome to AmericaVisual analysis essay of TIME's Welcome to America cover, discussing the relationship between visual elements and U.S. immigration policies in parallel.
Personal essay on lying for oneself versus lying for others. Explores themes of racial identity and family.
Sugar Glass CagePersonal work, short poem on pollution.
Personal work, short poem on acupuncture and the body.
On Tech
Machines and Medicine The Tech (MIT Newspaper)Interviews with the Clinical Machine Learning Group and Medical Vision Group at MIT on the future of AI in healthcare.
Mental Health and the Brain The Tech (MIT Newspaper)Interviews with researchers at the MIT McGovern Institute for Brain Research on the science of mental health and the brain.
Art 🎨
I began teaching myself digital drawing and painting in 2020, and have developed a particular interest in character design and visual storytelling. Below you will find some of my selected pieces as well as my Webtoon (Love in Favor), which I wrote and illustrated. For more artwork and sketches, look for my alias @bnbndog (笨笨) and check out my socials linked below.
Webtoons
Paintings
Sketches
My Journey ⛰️
San Diego, CAFeb 2000
Born in San Diego
I was born in San Diego to my beautiful mother.
Los Angeles, CA2000-2018
Grew up in LA
Had a lovely childhood in the city of LA, immersed in sunshine, films, and long (traffic filled) drives.
Andover, MAMay 2018
Graduated from Phillips Academy
Attended boarding school at Phillips Academy Andover and did (lots) of robotics + creative writing!
Boston, MAJun 2018
Emotion AI at Affectiva
My first ever internship! I was a data science intern at Affectiva, working on in-vehicle object detection.
Cambridge, MA2018 - 2021
Undergrad @ MIT
Completed my degree in Computer Science and Minor in Economics at MIT.
Menlo Park, CASummer 2019
SWE Intern at Facebook
Had a great summer as a Software Engineering Intern at Facebook in MPK.
Chicago, ILSummer 2020, 2021
SWE Intern at Citadel
Spent two summers at Citadel, working on front-end and back-end platforms for Equity Data Platforms.
Cambridge, MAJun 2023
Master's at MIT Media Lab
Finished my Masters thesis in modeling empathic similarity in personal narratives at the MIT Media Lab in the Personal Robots Group.
Cambridge, MASep 2023 - Now
Started my PhD at MIT
Started my PhD in the MIT Media Lab, advised by Cynthia Breazeal and Maarten Sap (CMU LTI).
Seattle, WASummer 2024
Research Intern at Apple AI/ML
Interned at Apple AI/ML Human Centered Machine Intelligence team, working on human-AI interaction and child-computer interaction.