Yaxuan (Kaylee) Li receives Rackham International Student Fellowship

Yaxuan (Kaylee) Li, a PhD student in computer science and engineering at the University of Michigan, has received a Rackham International Student Fellowship in recognition of her outstanding academic record and potential. The award will support her ongoing studies and research in CSE for the 2024-2025 academic year.

Kaylee is advised by Prof. Alanson Sample, and her research focuses on the development of human-centered intelligent sensing systems that integrate seamlessly into daily environments to enhance human experiences. Her work aims to create adaptive, context-aware wearable or mobile sensing technologies that ubiquitously improve the user’s environment and experience. 

One of her recent projects involved the development of HandSAW, a novel wireless watch-like wearable device that uses a bone-conduction microphone to capture Surface Acoustic Waves (SAWs) generated from hand-based interaction. This device leverages an enhanced signal-to-noise ratio to effectively reject through-air sounds while only capturing the SAW generated by the objects and through touch to distinguish various object interaction events with high accuracy. Her paper on this topic was recently accepted by UbiComp/IMWUT 2025

Additionally, her work on NeckFace, which was presented at UbiComp/IMWUT 2021, introduced a neck-mounted wearable technology capable of continuously tracking facial expressions using an infrared camera and custom deep learning algorithms, offering new applications in VR/AR, online meetings, and mental health assessments.

The Rackham International Student Fellowship recognizes international graduate students that demonstrate exceptional academic performance and potential. It is specifically meant to assist individuals who may not be eligible for other kinds of support due to citizenship. Nominees are selected based on their strong academic performance, progress toward their degree, and outstanding academic and professional promise.

The fellowship will support Kaylee’s continued research efforts on advanced AI-driven sensing technologies that seamlessly integrate into daily life and transform human-technology interaction.