Georgia Tech
Graduate Research/Teaching Assistant | Atlanta, GA | Aug. 2020 – Present
I am a researcher and PhD candidate in the Human-Centered Computing (HCC) program at Georgia Tech. I am a member of the Information Interfaces Research Group , which is part of the broader Georgia Tech Visualization Lab . My PhD advisor is Dr. John Stasko . Before pursuing my PhD, I worked as a sports journalist and analyst after earning a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering.
Research Overview
My overarching research goal is to democratize data practices, encompassing data analysis,
communication, and consumption. I pursue these interconnected objectives through a human-centric lens,
leveraging the analytical power and aesthetic expressiveness of data visualization to reach, engage, and
inform broader audiences.
My research spans information visualization, data science, human-computer interaction, and data
journalism, with a focus on three key dimensions:
(1) Designing analytical interfaces
that utilize interactive visualizations to support data exploration, enabling users to derive actionable
insights across diverse domains;
(2) Developing authoring tools
powered by Generative AI to simplify the creation of engaging and accurate data-driven content (e.g.,
visual data stories) by lowering technical barriers and enhancing expressiveness; and
(3) Countering data-driven misinformation
by examining how flawed data narratives and visuals can mislead audiences, and designing strategies,
techniques, and tools to mitigate these challenges.
Publications
Full Papers
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"The Data Says Otherwise" -- Towards Automated Fact-checking and Communication of Data Claims | ACM UIST'24
Yu Fu, Shunan Guo, Jane Hoffswell, Victor S. Bursztyn, Ryan Rossi, John Stasko
Proceedings of the 37th ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (UIST '24), Article 134, 1–20.
Paper Link
Short Papers and Posters
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Managing Project Teams in an Online Class of 1000+ Students | ACM SIGCSE 2025
Nazanin Tabatabaei Anaraki, Taneisha Ng, Gaurav Verma, Yu Fu, Martin Oconnell, Matthew Hull, Susanta Routray, Mahdi Roozbahani, Duen Horng Chau -
Understanding the Effects of Visualizing Missing Values on Visual Data Exploration | IEEE VIS'21
Hayeong Song, Yu Fu, Bahador Saket, John Stasko
2021 IEEE Visualization Conference (VIS), pp. 161–165.
Paper -
HoopPad: A Controlled Defense Simulation with Masking Prompt | CASSIS 2024
Xing Wang, Konstantinos Pelechrinis, Yu Fu, Chunyang Huang, Jianchong Shao, Zitian Tang, Miguel Gomez, Shaoliang Zhang
Experience
Tableau Research
Research Intern | Seattle, WA | May 2024 – Aug. 2024
Adobe Research
Research Scientist/Engineer Intern | San Jose, CA | May 2023 – Aug. 2023
Tencent, Titan Sports
NBA Journalist/Basketball Data Analyst | Washington, D.C., & Houston, TX | Sep. 2015 – Aug. 2020
Teaching
I am committed to fostering a dynamic and inclusive learning environment, where students gain both theoretical knowledge and practical skills in data visualization, human-computer interaction, and data analytics.
CS 7450 - Information Visualization
Terms: Spring 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2025
Introduction: This advanced course focuses on computer-based information visualization, emphasizing interactive tools that leverage human perceptual capabilities to explore and explain data. Key topics include designing cognitively effective spatial mappings for non-spatial datasets and implementing intuitive interaction techniques. The course integrates principles from computer graphics, HCI, cognitive psychology, and design to address challenges in data visualization. Students will engage with research literature, discuss emerging topics, and develop interactive visualization systems using tools like D3.js and JavaScript.
My Role: Co-instructor and Teaching Assistant
Contribution: Developed programming tutorials focused on D3.js, delivered lectures on interactive visualization concepts, and designed assignments to reinforce hands-on learning.
CSE 6242 - Data and Visual Analytics
Terms: Fall 2023, Fall 2024
Introduction: This course covers techniques and tools for analyzing and visualizing large-scale data, emphasizing the integration of computation and visualization for effective analysis.
My Role: Graduate Teaching Assistant
Contribution: Served as the Question Lead, addressed D3.js and autograder issues during office hours, and wrote motivational blog posts to inspire online students.
CS 6730 - Data Visualization: Principles & Applications
Terms: Spring 2021
Introduction: This course introduces fundamental principles of effective data visualization, focusing on selecting appropriate techniques for different data types and goals. It emphasizes usability, perceptual design, and interactive methods to enable effective data exploration and analysis.
My Role: Graduate Teaching Assistant
Contribution: Assisted in course delivery through lab sessions and technical tutorials, provided guidance on visualization best practices, and evaluated coursework.
CS 4460 - Introduction to Information Visualization
Terms: Fall 2020
Introduction: Undergraduate level data visualization course. This course focuses on designing effective visualizations to transform complex datasets into intuitive representations. Students learn to select suitable visualization techniques, apply human perceptual principles, and build interactive systems for data analysis. The curriculum emphasizes hands-on design projects and critical evaluation of visualization approaches.
My Role: Graduate Teaching Assistant
Contribution: Supported instruction, guided hands-on exercises, and provided feedback on project implementations.
Projects
some are for papers, most are for fun...
NBA GameViz
interactively visualizing NBA game information and advanced statistics to support novel
narrative construction and insight communication.
NBA LineupViz
interactively visualizing NBA teams' lineup performance, with emphasis on advanced statistics
and playing time
NBA Travel Route
interactive visualization interface that animates teams' traveling routes
Shot Quality
Participatory design project w/ ShotQuality.
BBallIndex Player Profile
Unfinished participatory design project w/ BBallIndex.
It focuses on showing different advanced statistics generated by BBallIndex for each player.
SongBridge
SongBridge allows users to compare multiple playlists and visualize the connections and similarity between them.
