I am a PhD student at Carnegie Mellon University in the School of Computer Science's Human-Computer Interaction Institute.
I am advised by Professor Haiyi Zhu in the Social AI Group.
My research is in social computing + mental health. I am interested in how social technology can enable personal and community well-being (e.g. mental health, social relationships) in proactive ways — those that are self-sustaining, self-correcting, or promote positive behaviors — rather than retrospective handling of harm. I use any relevant methods, but most often draw from computational social science methods.
Hi, I'm Anna! Before graduate school, I graduated from Cornell University with a BS in Computer Science in 2019. At Cornell, I worked on a world-class autonomous airplane project team and taught extensively for undergraduate computer science courses. I also worked as a software engineer @ Amazon on recommender systems and the eCommerce platform before starting my PhD.
Outside of research, I enjoy drawing, ceramics (wheel-throwing), papermaking, sewing clothes, watching UFC, reading, and listening to neo-psychedelic & hard rock music!
You can find some of my random art scraps (mostly in pop surrealism style) at @brainfree.ze and things I sell for charity at my online store.
I also really enjoy discussing and learning about 🌱 sustainable living & animal rights, ❤️🩹 emotional health, and ☸️ mindfulness.
My work has been funded by the Center for Machine Learning & Health as both a 2022 Fellow and 2024 Fellow.
I am always excited to chat about social technologies and/or tech that helps people feel happy (e.g. healthier, joyful, safe, ...). Email me at: annafang [at] cmu [dot] edu.
(* = equal contribution)
☆ Shaping Online Dialogue: Examining How Community Rules Affect Discussion Structures on Reddit. Anna Fang, Chris Wenjie Yang, Haiyi Zhu
I was formerly a youth & young adult competition artist in Indiana for a decade, primarily working in graphite portraits. Although I no longer compete or sell original pieces, I enjoy experimenting recently in things like pop surrealism (i.e. low brow art) and portrait sketches using a variety of mediums. I also enjoy other visual & applied art (i.e. ceramics, jewelry-making, papermaking).
I actively volunteer and foster for the Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh. Below is info about the wonderful animal(s) in my care currently who are up for adoption! Email me at annafang [at] cmu [dot] edu for adoption info!
(Updated: October 2024) Beetlejuice (2 months, male -- shy and cuddly)
Raven (2 months, female -- active, lively, adventurous)
