I design computational systems where mathematics and materials become forms for thinking, making, and playing.
Much of my current work explores reuse and reconfiguration in garment design and construction.
I'm an EECS PhD candidate at MIT CSAIL, advised by Erik Demaine. I was also fortunate to spend a season at the MIT Media Lab, exploring code as a creative medium with Zach Lieberman.
My time at MIT is a collage of research, teaching, and art-making; I also collect poetry, prose, photographs, and so many plants
My work reimagines material systems as computational playgrounds, inviting users to play with constraints and possibilities.“Instead of solutions for problems, programmes for solutions.” — Karl Gerstner
How can we design garments for change and reuse? By treating garments as dynamic assemblies rather than static products, Refashion enables users to remix their garments on demand.Refashion was born on Aug. 15, 2024, when I raided the Adobe office for 600 Post-it notes and stayed up all night making a ballgown.
How can we thread tubes with a single string to achieve a target connectivity when the string is pulled taut? By casting "threadings" as constrained walks on graphs, we give efficient algorithms for computing minimum-length threadings.Zhecheng sent me a video of a deployable bamboo sculpture by the wonderful Alison Martin, and the rest was history.
How can we create constellation patterns with unconventional star arrangements? By representing constellations as mathematical graphs, we reveal an alternative language for reasoning about and creating constellations.
I’m grateful for my family, friends, and mentors. Particular thanks go to my sister, Esther; to Kevin, Linghao, Tim, Yael, and Surya; and to Mackenzie, who has been like a second advisor to me.
My work has been supported by the MIT MAD Design Fellowship, the MIT Stata Family Presidential Fellowship, the NSERC Postgraduate Scholarship, and the MathWorks Engineering Fellowship.
