Ziwen Chen

Year in School
Freshman

Major
Computer Science

Research Interests
Artificial Intelligence

Research Mentor

Research/Engagement Experience

Interests

Project Title

How did I get interested in Computer Science?
Elementary school. Hatch Coding. Cool fractals. Many colors. My first introduction into Computer Science could only be described as someone who's never experienced romance being love bombed. As a kid, I was not allowed to play video games or watch many movies or shows. Then, I went to this camp. I typed some funny words into a screen. Sometimes nothing would appear, other times an explosion of vivid patterns and colors. It was simply addictive. But, I grew up, the camps closed, coding turned to drilling competition problems, and I thought my passion moved on. That was until.. Two fencers launched, their blades clashing in blinding metallic bursts. Two lights. Left, Right. Green, Red. They froze and looked at me. I hesitated, replaying the exchange frame by frame in my head, unsure of who to award the point. Then, on the way home, I thought ""couldn't I build something that wasn't unsure?"" That idea reignited my love for CS. I spent the next years debugging problems with no prior solutions, imagining solutions for problems while debugging. It was both frustrating and exhilarating, and the first time computer science felt like a language I wanted to speak fluently. Ever since then, I never stopped. And I dont think I will.

What social interests matter to me?

Why did you choose Illinois?
I chose UIUC because of its strong CS program and the opportunities to get into research early. I was also excited by the chance to leave Canada, experience a new environment, and become more independent.

What are your passions outside of computing?
I really like sight reading random pieces I find on musescore on the piano. I also beatbox, sing, and play guitar. Apart from music, I also love Manhwa/Manga. Even though I only started 2 years ago, I've already read over 30000 chapters in total. For sports, I train Arm Wrestling, and do Fencing and Rock Climbing for fun.

What has been one of your favorite experiences at Illinois that you would like to share with prospective students? (For Continuing UIUC Students)

What has been one of your favorite experiences as a CS STAR? (For Returning CS STARS)

What is my most impactful college experience?

These are a few of my favorite things!
Flashing a boulder, Looking at my 1-rep max go up bit by bit, Hiking miles out in the pouring rain, setting up tarps and a camp, scavenging for wood that wasn't completely soaked, then eating some really bad food that tastes really really good.

Research Description

Biography
Hi, I’m Ziwen. I’m an incoming Computer Science freshman at UIUC. I am interested in machine learning, computer vision, and systems that deal with complex interactions over time. My current research uses fencing as a testbed for representation learning, temporal segmentation, and tactical reasoning. I hope that I can develop methods that generalize to robotics, autonomous systems, and world models, and eventually pursue a PhD. Outside of research, I enjoy piano, singing, beatboxing, arm wrestling, rock climbing, and fencing.