Hi! I’m Peiyu Chen (pronounced like Pay-yoo Chuhn), currently a first year MS student at the University of Chicago majoring in computer science and public policy. I’m interested in human–AI interaction, especially how algorithmic systems shape human judgment and decision-making. My work explores the design of interventions that promote more equitable, transparent, and socially aware uses of AI in everyday life.
I completed my undergraduate studies at the Maxdo College (瀚德学院) and Business School of Beijing Normal University with a dual bachelor’s degree in Economics and Spanish, where I was advised by Prof. Haoran He (何浩然) and Prof. Lancui Liu (刘兰翠). My research focused on how to use behavioral interventions—particularly nudges—to help people make better decisions.
Also, I’m serving as a part-time Junior Research Fellow at the World Institute of Politics, Economy and Technology
, with a research focus on international policy frameworks for AI and data governance.
🧠 Ongoing Projects
Can AI ever feel like “one of us” in a group conversation?
This project examines what it would take for large language models to gain such interactional credibility. Building on Michael Silverstein’s theories of indexicality and interactional textuality, we place LLMs in simulated multi-party dialogues where ambiguity and role expectations test its ability to manage turn-taking, repair misunderstandings, vary register, and sustain social roles. Using a factorial design with prompt and role manipulations. We trace how interactional behaviors shift across formal and informal settings. These findings shed light on when LLMs can move from mere responders to co-constructors of identity and trust, offering clues to how humans might one day accept AI as part of their social world.
🎖 Honors, Awards, and Grants
Grants and Scholarships
- 2024.09 ($5,000) CAPP Startup Program, University of Chicago
- 2024.02 ($20,000) Minnesota Nonresident Tuition Awards (offered), University of Minnesota (Twin Cities Campus)
- 2022.06 ($6,000) Undergraduate Research Grants, Ministry of Education of the PRC & Beijing Normal University
Honors and Awards
- 2024.06 AHEC (Amur-Heilong Environmental Conservation) Ambassadors, WWF (China) (9 candidates in China each year)
- 2024.03 Best Team, Young Ambassador Program, Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (1 team across China, Japan, and Korea each year)
- 2023.11 Top Ten Volunteers, Beijing Normal University
- 2023.05 Grand Prize, The 9th China National College Student Competition on Energy Economics (Top 10 among 6148)
📖 Educations
- 2024.09 - present, M.S. in Computational Analysis & Public Policy, University of Chicago, Chicago.
- 2020.09 - 2024.06, B.Econ. in International Economics & Trade, Beijing Normal University, Beijing.
- 2020.09 - 2024.06, B.A. in Spanish, Beijing Normal University, Beijing.
💬 Invited Talks
Nudge: social advocacy, carbon label, and low-carbon consumption
- 2023.09, School of Public Policy and Management, University of Chinese Academy of Science
- 2023.06, Business School, Beijing Normal University
- 2023.05, Antai College,Shanghai Jiao Tong University
🧑🏫 Teaching
- 2024.03 - 2024.06, Teaching Assistant, Management Information Systems (MBA), Beijing Normal University
💻 Internships
- 2025.07 - present, Research Assistent, The Perception and Judgment Lab & Mindworks, Booth School of Business, Chicago.
- 2024.03 - 2024.06, Telecommunication, DETECON, Beijing.
- 2022.09 - 2024.02, Center for Philanthropic Studies, China Philanthropy Research Institute , Beijing.
🤝 Civic Activities
🌍 Environmental Advocacy
- 2024.10 - 2025.06, Student Reviewer, Green Fund, University of Chicago.
- 2024.06 - 2024.09, Communication strategist in stray animal welfare for Ta Foundation (它基金), A Better Community-ABC
- 2024.06, Wetland Conservation Education Volunteer, WWF (China).
- 2023.10, Volunteer, 2023 International Workshop on Geography and Sustainability.
📚 Education & Equity
- 2023.05 - 2023.08, Team Leader, “Bright Future” Volunteer Teaching Team, Teach For China (美丽中国支教项目)
- 2022.12 - 2023.02, Communications Lead (Deputy), “China Dream · Strong Teachers” Winter Online Teaching Program, Beijing Normal University
- 2021.04 - 2021.07, Lecturer in Cryptography, Chishui No.6 Middle School
🏮 Cultural Stories and Actions
- 2024.12, Exhibitor, “When Ancient Bells Meet Contemporary Art”, Dazhong Temple
🌟 Leadership Experience
- 2022.09 - 2023.10, Vice President, Baige Youth Volunteer Association, Beijing Normal University
- 2018.06 - 2019.06, President, Student Union, Xinyu No.4 Middle School
🏘️ Community Empowerment
- 2024.10 - present, First-year Liaison → Board Member, South Side Civic, University of Chicago
- 2024.10 - present, Author, case study on the development of regional hub organizations, Sany Foundation
- 2023.09 - 2023.12, Fundraising Strategy Consultant, Flowing Water Plan (活水计划), China Foundation for Rural Development
- 2022.12 & 2023.12, Data Analyst, China Top 100 Philanthropy List (中国公益百杰榜)
- 2022.09 - 2023.02, Contributing Author, 40th Anniversary of the Red Cross Society of China Shenzhen Branch, Red Cross Society of China Shenzhen Branch (深圳市红十字会)
📷 Photography
A collection of moments through my lens — from tradition and terrain to shadow and light.
A rare piece of ancient Central Asian textile art, woven with auspicious Han characters.
Dark stone folds like waves; a lone traveler crosses through strangeness and awe.
A fleeting motion among clouds and flowers — freedom, caught midair.
Among ancient firs and craggy ridges, steps pulse upward toward sky and silence.
Two wanderers in the sand watch the desert swallow the sun.
A silent crater looms under a glass-blue sky — layers of ancient fire frozen in time.
Amber and teal collide in motion — a geographic pulse captured from the sky.
Galaxies draped above the horizon. An unfathomable silence fills the dark.
Curved roofs wear snow like calligraphy — layered silence in imperial winter.
A storm-lit dusk frames London’s silhouette — time, waiting in golden shadow.
Wrapped in green and silence, one sits where a tree once stood.
Anchored boats float beneath golden leaves — harbor and horizon in harmony.
A dome-shaped eye gazes across the lake — stillness beneath layers of blue.
Urban motion slows as roads dissolve into trees, into shore, into quiet.
Between crosses and the tide, a glimpse of peace beyond the wall.
A lone mast lingers in the sea — dusk cradles its final light.
With arms wide and laughter rising, a moment spins skyward in flight.
Updated at 2025-07-24 | Thanks Ren Yi for open source template.