Hi, I'm Chaoran Chen

I’m a third-year PhD student in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Notre Dame. I am co-advised by Dr. Toby Jia-Jun Li and Dr. Fanny Yanfang Ye. Before joining ND, I received my M.S. degrees in Educational Technology and Applied Learning Science from Carnegie Mellon University. I received my Bachelor's degree in Industrial Design from Tongji University.

My research lies at the intersection of Human-Computer Interaction, Cybersecurity, Usable Privacy, and Large Language Models (LLMs). I use human-centered design methods to investigate the dual relationship between LLMs and privacy: how LLMs can help users better understand and manage their privacy (LLM for Privacy), and how privacy concerns should shape the design of LLMs themselves (Privacy for LLM). From building empathy-based sandbox environments that enable experiential privacy learning to developing contextual privacy risk assessments and real-time intervention tools, my work aims to transform LLMs from potential privacy threats into active privacy-enhancing agents. I also explore how emerging AI technologies, including generative models, can be responsibly designed to meet diverse human needs while safeguarding autonomy, transparency, and data security.