University of Michigan, College of Engineering
Doctor of Philosophy, Computer Science & Engineering (GPA: 4.0/4.0)
Expected 2029

Columbia University, Columbia College
Bachelor of Arts, Computer Science & Linguistics, Summa cum Laude (GPA: 4.1/4.0)
2024

Switching Tongues, Sharing Hearts: Identifying the Relationship between Empathy and Code-switching in Speech
Debasmita Bhattacharya*, Eleanor Lin*, Run Chen, and Julia Hirschberg. INTERSPEECH 2024. Kos Island, Greece. *DB and EL are equal contributors to this work and are designated as co-first authors. [Paper]

Detecting Empathy in Speech
Run Chen, Haozhe Chen, Anushka Kulkarni, Eleanor Lin, Linda Pang, Divya Tadimeti, Jun Shin, and Julia Hirschberg. INTERSPEECH 2024. Kos Island, Greece. [Paper]

RASwDA: Re-Aligned Switchboard Dialog Act Corpus for Dialog Act Prediction in Conversation
Run Chen, Eleanor Lin, Shayan Hooshmand, Mariam Mustafa, Rose Sloan, Ritika Nandi, Alicia Yang, Andrea Lopez, Ansh Kothary, Isaac Suh, Catherine Lyu, Eric Chen, Sophia Horng, and Julia Hirschberg. International Workshop on Spoken Dialogue Systems Technology. Sapporo, Japan. Accepted as poster presentation. [Paper]

Toward a Better Understanding of the Emotional Dynamics of Negotiation with Large Language Models
Eleanor Lin, James Hale, and Jonathan Gratch. In The Twenty-fourth International Symposium on Theory, Algorithmic Foundations, and Protocol Design for Mobile Networks and Mobile Computing (MobiHoc ’23), October 23–26, 2023, Washington, DC, USA. ACM, New York, NY, USA, 6 pages. Accepted as oral presentation. https://doi.org/10.1145/3565287.3617637 [Paper] [Slides] [Poster]

Developing Performant Models for Translating Spoken Taiwanese Into Spoken English Using Free and Publicly Available Resources
Eleanor Lin. Columbia University Program of Linguistics, April 2024. Undergraduate thesis. [Thesis]

Investigating Code-Switching as a Cognitive Tool in Large Language Model Reasoning
Eleanor Lin and David Jurgens. NLP @ Michigan Day, Ann Arbor, MI, March 2025. Poster presentation. [Poster]

Instilling discipline in LLM-based negotiating agents
James Hale, Eleanor Lin, Ian Wu, Zora Rong, Kushal Chawla, Gale Lucas, and Jonathan Gratch. Annual Conference of the International Association for Conflict Management (IACM), Singapore, June 2024. Symposium talk.

Toward a Sociolinguistic Profile of Taiwanese Americans
Eleanor Lin. Emory Undergraduate Linguistics Conference, Online, April 2024. Oral presentation. [Working Paper] [Slides]

Text-Based Prediction of Visual Complexity: How Does What We See Influence What We Say?
Eleanor Lin, Ziyan Yang, and Vicente Ordóñez. Columbia University Undergraduate Research Symposium, New York, NY, October 2022. Poster presentation. [Report] [Slides] [Poster] [Code] [Project Blog]

Graduate Research Fellowship, National Science Foundation, 2025
Selected through competitive application process to receive 3 years of financial support toward graduate study (acceptance rate ~15%). 1500 students total were selected nationwide (with 10 selected specifically from the discipline of natural language processing).

Institutional Nominee for the Google PhD Fellowship Program, University of Michigan, 2025
One of up to 4 candidates from the University of Michigan selected through a competitive application process.

Departmental Honors in Linguistics, Columbia University Program of Linguistics, 2024
One of two graduating linguistics majors selected for honors, on the basis of the quality of the senior thesis.

Computer Science Scholarship Award, Columbia University Department of Computer Science, 2024
One of two B.A. candidates selected annually on the basis of “outstanding academic achievement in computer science."

Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (GPA) Fellowship for Advanced Overseas Chinese Language Study, American Councils for International Education, 2024
Awarded $7000 to cover cost of attendance for Taiwan Intensive Summer Language Program. Conducted post-program outreach: organized information session in partnership with Columbia University Undergraduate Global Engagement, presented study abroad opportunities to 27 students in 2 undergraduate Chinese language classes at the University of Michigan, authored blog post for American Councils' website.

Dean's List, Columbia College, Expected 2020 - 2024

Work Exemption Program Grant, Columbia University, 2024
Recipient of $1,820 Columbia Grant to support pursuit of research in the Columbia Speech Lab.

Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award - Honorable Mention, Computing Research Association, 2023

Junior Phi Beta Kappa, Columbia University, 2023
Awarded to 2% of the Columbia College Class of 2024 (26 students) in recognition of breadth, depth, and rigor in scholarship

Upsilon Pi Epsilon (International Honor Society for the Computing and Information Disciplines) Member, Columbia University, 2023
Awarded in recognition of GPA in the top 15% of computer and information science juniors and seniors at Columbia

REU Travel Grant, National Science Foundation, 2023
Awarded $1200 to attend MobiHoc '23 and present my paper, Toward a Better Understanding of the Emotional Dynamics of Negotiation with Large Language Models.

NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates Intern, University of Southern California, 2023

Distributed Research Experiences for Undergraduates Intern, Computing Research Association, 2022
Awarded $7000 to conduct research at Rice University with Professor Vicente Ordóñez Román.

Computer Science Research Mentorship Program Scholar, Google, 2021

Blablablab, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Graduate Student Research Assistant, August 2024 - Present | Adviser: David Jurgens
Conduct research at the intersection of NLP, computational social science, and sociolinguistics.

Speech Lab, Department of Computer Science, Columbia University, New York, NY
Research Assistant, January 2022 - May 2024 | Adviser: Julia Hirschberg
Investigated relationship between empathy and code-switching by detecting empathetic utterances in code-switched speech, using RoBERTa fine-tuned for empathy detection. Investigated relationship between dialog acts and code-switching, by adapting dialog act annotation scheme to better suit, and annotating dialog acts on, code-switched speech. Wrote script to fine-tune Wav2Vec2 for end-to-end dialog act classification on Switchboard Dialog Act Corpus, using PyTorch and Hugging Face Transformers. Contributed to multimodal, multilingual empathetic speech corpus by processing video, audio, text with Jupyter Notebooks, Praat, FFmpeg.

Affective Computing Lab, Institute for Creative Technologies, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Intern, May 2023 - August 2023 | Adviser: Jonathan Gratch
Developed negotiating agent for online studies of human negotiation behaviors. Engineered large language model prompts for agent NLU/NLG with OpenAI API. Built user interface using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Flask. Assembled Qualtrics survey for crowdworkers to evaluate agent.

Vision, Language, and Learning Lab, Department of Computer Science, Rice University, Houston, TX
Distributed Research Experiences for Undergraduates (DREU) Intern, May 2022 - July 2022 | Adviser: Vicente Ordóñez Román
Quantified visual and linguistic complexity in MSCOCO image captioning dataset by creating and applying novel visual complexity metric, then fine-tuning BERT to predict visual complexity from image captions. Probed and mitigated content-related biases in resulting models.

Natural Language Text Processing Lab, Department of Computer Science, Columbia University, New York, NY
Data Annotator, October 2021 – December 2021 | Adviser: Fei-Tzin Lee
Generated semantic annotations for text generation/summarization in the literary domain.

Corter Lab, Department of Human Development, Columbia University, New York, NY
Research Assistant, March 2021 - June 2021 | Adviser: Katherine Moore
Identified communication strategies in collaborative learning dialogues by annotating speech acts and analyzing n-gram frequencies with R. Assisted with onboarding new research assistants. [Code]

CSE 692: Advanced Artificial Intelligence, From Motion to Meaning: A Benchmark for Physical Reasoning Through Event Decomposition
May 2025. Jung-Chun Liu, Eleanor Lin, Zichen Wang. University of Michigan.
We address the limitations of traditional physical reasoning benchmarks for vision-language models (VLMs) by introducing a new evaluation framework specifically designed to probe VLMs’ understanding of Newtonian mechanics, a fundamental component of intuitive physical reasoning.

CSE 598: Causality and Machine Learning, "Thanks for saying thanks!": Estimating Causal Effects of Positive Affirmations of Gratitude by TheGratitudeBot on Reddit
December 2024. Eleanor Lin, Yinuo (Nancy) Xu, Omkar Yadav. University of Michigan.
Investigated which linguistic properties of positive reinforcement messages are effective in encouraging prosocial behavior on Reddit. Estimated (conditional) average treatment effects of linguistic properties with TextCause and explored treatment effect heterogeneity using causal forests.

CSE 593: Human-Computer Interaction, Improving Emotional Expressivity of Text-Based Communications on Touchscreen Mobile Phones
December 2024. Calvin Chan, Jeremy Huang, Eleanor Lin, Rayhan Rashed, Anny Wu. (Authors listed in alphabetical order.) University of Michigan.
Iteratively designed text entry system integrating features to enable emotionally expressive communication, applying research and design practices and principles including literature review, contextual interviews, surveying, heuristic evaluation, quantitative evaluation, user testing, prototyping in Figma, statistical analysis, and usability principles.

LING GU4120: Language Documentation and Field Methods, Documenting the Sakha Language
January 2023 - May 2023. Eleanor Lin. Columbia University.
Elucidated and documented the phonology, morphology, and syntax of the Sakha language by interviewing native speaker and analyzing collected transcriptions and audio recordings. [Report on Sakha Phonology] [Report on Sakha Nominal Morphology and Syntax] [Report on Sakha Verbal Morphology and Clausal Syntax] [Analysis of Two Sakha Texts]

Columbia COMS4771: Machine Learning, New York, NY
Course Assistant, January 2024 - May 2024
Introduction to machine learning. Held office hours, took attendance, monitored class discussion board, and graded assignments.

Columbia LING4903: Syntax, New York, NY
Teaching Assistant, September 2023 - December 2023
Introduction to modern formal theories of syntax. Held office hours, took attendance, and graded assignments.

Columbia COMS3251: Computational Linear Algebra, New York, NY
Course Assistant, September 2022 - December 2022
Introduction to linear algebra and its applications to data analysis. Hosted weekly office hours, moderated class discussion board, graded homework assignments, proctored final exam.

Columbia COMS1404: Emerging Scholars Program Seminar, New York, NY
Workshop Assistant, September 2021 – May 2022
Facilitated introductory computer science seminar to increase retention of diverse undergraduates. Moderated discussions, took attendance, and emailed weekly announcements.

The Michigan Daily, Ann Arbor, MI
Statement Correspondent, May 2025 – July 2025
Authored two ~2000-word ledes and one ~1600-word secondary article for The Statement, the long-form magazine of The Michigan Daily, University of Michigan's independent student-run newspaper. Pitched stories, conducted interviews, coordinated with editors, contributed photography, and performed archival research. [Articles]

Columbia Daily Spectator, New York, NY
Graphics Deputy Editor, January 2022 – May 2022
Reported stories incorporating data analysis and visualization using Python, Adobe Illustrator, HTML, and CSS. Co-authored article on disparities in access to healthy food in local area, including interactive map of food sources. Provided data visualizations for article on COVID-19 vaccination rate disparities between different demographic groups. Recruited and trained reporters in data journalism. [Articles]

Columbia Daily Spectator, New York, NY
Graphics Trainee, October 2021 – December 2021
Reported story on student mental health in online communities, including communicating methodology and results of social media data analysis. [Articles]

Columbia Daily Spectator, New York, NY
Summer Fellow, July 2020
Pitched, wrote, and published ~3,000-word feature in The Eye magazine, working on a two-week deadline. Conferred with editors, conducted background research, interviewed 6 sources, and wrote article. [Articles]

Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal, New York, NY
Science Communicator, July 2021
Refined science writing skills through workshops and peer-reviewing, culminating in publication of scientific review article (~500 words) "The Role of Technology in Preserving Linguistic Diversity."

Columbia Science Review, New York, NY
Writer, September 2020 – December 2021
Wrote biweekly articles on topics including environmental science, computational social science, biochemistry, and mathematics.

Columbia Science Review, New York, NY
COVID-19 Public Hub Co-Leader, October 2020 – May 2021
Launched Instagram account (@csrcovidhub) to provide Columbia-relevant COVID-19 information to 200+ followers.

University of Michigan Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Ann Arbor, MI
AI Blog Editor, August 2025 - Present
Create, edit, and proofread the Michigan AI blog, and encourage blog contributions from graduate students in the Michigan AI Lab.

Engaging Scientists in Policy and Advocacy, Ann Arbor, MI
Secretary and Social Media Coordinator, July 2025 - Present
Keep accurate records to ensure continuity of ESPA's institutional memory, so that we can also continuously improve our initiatives. Ensure timely communication of relevant opportunities to members. Increase ESPA's public visibility, furthering our mission of fostering publicly engaged science and science communication. Foster useful collaborations and connections between ESPA and aligned organizations/individuals via social media.

Café con Ling, Virtual
Mentor, December 2024 - Present
Mentor current undergraduates in the Columbia University Linguistics Program, through student-led mentoring program which provides by-appointment office hours.

Michigan Taiwanese Student Association , Ann Arbor, MI
Volunteer, August 2024 – Present
Build community among Taiwanese graduate students at the University of Michigan by assisting operations and providing transportation at monthly social events.

University of Michigan Taiwanese American Student Association, Ann Arbor, MI
Big/Little Mentorship Program Mentor, September 2024 – April 2025
Mentored 1 current University of Michigan undergraduate, providing academic and career advice and participating in community-building activities.

University of Michigan College of Engineering, Ann Arbor, MI
Common Reading Experience Book Selection Committee Volunteer, November 2024 - February 2025
Review 2 books to facilitate the process of selecting a book for the University of Michigan College of Engineering's Common Reading Experience, which aims to foster community, non-technical skills, and curiosity among engineering students. Provide feedback via surveys and group discussion.

University of Michigan Language Resource Center, Ann Arbor, MI
Language Bank Program Volunteer, November 2024 - Present
Translate documents from English to Mandarin Chinese for University of Michigan departments/schools and external non-profit organizations.

University of Michigan Graduate Society of Women Engineers, Ann Arbor, MI
Outreach Volunteer, August 2024 - Present
Served on graduate school information panel sharing insights with undergraduates on applying to graduate school, finding undergraduate research opportunities, and developing mentoring relationships. Conducted K-12 outreach with Community Action Network by volunteering for museum visit serving children from under-resourced families in Washtenaw County.

University of Michigan Computer Science and Engineering Graduate Students, Ann Arbor, MI
Member, August 2024 - Present
Advised computer science PhD applicant by providing detailed feedback on application materials, as well as general advice about the application process, through the Student Application Support Program. Hosted Tea Time social hour to build community among graduate students.

Columbia College Alumni Association, Virtual
Odyssey Mentoring Program Mentor, October 2024 - December 2024
Mentored 1 Columbia College undergraduate through holistic discussion of academics, career paths, and personal goals.

University of Michigan Computer Science and Engineering Division, Ann Arbor, MI
Building Bridges in CSE PhD Studies Volunteer, October 2024 - November 2024
Conducted outreach to underrepresented undergraduates by delivering talk introducing my research and the U-M CSE graduate program at Florida International University. Hosted one-on-one coffee chats with prospective computer science graduate school applicants.

University of Michigan Computer Science and Engineering Division, Ann Arbor, MI
EECS 110: Discover Computer Science Interview Volunteer, September 2024 - November 2024
Volunteered to be interviewed by a current student in EECS 110: Discover Computer Science, a course designed to introduce underrepresented students to computer science. Provided student interviewer with perspectives on potential CS career paths, graduate school, research, and internships.

Columbia University Women in Computer Science, New York, NY
Academic Committee Co-Lead, August 2023 - May 2024
Organized academic-related programming to support gender-diverse Columbia University computer science students, including workshops on course selection and lunches with female computer science professors. Hosted weekly coffee chats to provide students with advising on computer science internships, research, and courses.

Columbia University Application Development Initiative, New York, NY
Mentor for Computer Science Mentorship Program, October 2022 - December 2023
Supported 2 Columbia University undergraduates majoring in computer science with one-on-one academic and preprofessional advising.

Columbia University Women in Computer Science, New York, NY
Community Committee Chair, August 2022 - May 2023
Organized activities focused on building a gender-diverse community of Columbia University computer science students, including an information session introducing the technical interview process, as well as social activities such as arts and crafts nights. Hosted weekly coffee chats to provide students with advising on computer science internships, research, and courses.