Yan Ma

Yan Ma

Assistant Professor of Computer Science

I am a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Kean University. I earned my Ph.D. in Computer Science from Stony Brook University, where I was advised by Prof. Xiaojun Bi. I obtained my B.S. in Computer Science from Binghamton University and a B.S. in Mathematics from Renmin University of China. My research interests lie in Human-Computer Interaction, with a focus on AI-powered input technologies, human performance modeling, accessibility, and VR/XR interaction techniques. Currently, I am working on developing LLM-based interaction methods to enhance user performance and experience.

You can find more details in my CV. Please feel free to contact me at: yama AT kean DOT edu.

Publications

LLM Powered Text Entry Decoding and Flexible Typing on Smartphones.
Yan Ma, Dan Zhang, IV Ramakrishnan, and Xiaojun Bi
[TBD] @ ACM CHI 2025
SpellRing: Recognizing Continuous Fingerspelling in American Sign Language using a Ring.
Hyunchul Lim, Nam Anh Dang, Dylan Lee, Tianhong Catherine Yu, Jane Lu, Franklin Mingzhe Li, Yiqi Jin, Yan Ma, Xiaojun Bi, Francois Guimbretiere, Cheng Zhang
[TBD] @ ACM CHI 2025
LLM-powered Text Entry in Virtual Reality.
Yan Ma, Tony Li, Zhi Li, and Xiaojun Bi
[Research Demo] @ IEEE VR Abstracts and Workshops 2025
TouchType-GAN: Modeling Touch Typing with Generative Adversarial Network.
Jeremy Chu, Yan Ma, Shumin Zhai, Xianfeng David Gu, and Xiaojun Bi
📄 @ ACM UIST 2023
WordGesture-GAN: Modeling Word-Gesture Movement with Generative Adversarial Network.
Jeremy Chu, Dongsheng An, Yan Ma, Wenzhe Cui, Shumin Zhai, Xianfeng David Gu, and Xiaojun Bi
📄 @ ACM CHI 2023 🎖 Best Paper Honorable Mention Award
Using Deep Learning to Detect Motor Impairment in Early Parkinson’s Disease from Touchscreen Typing.
Sophia Gu*, Yan Ma*†, Zhi Li, Xiangmin Fan, Feng Tian, and Xiaojun Bi†.
📄 @ GI 2022, * Co-first author, † co-supervised Sophia
Select or Suggest? Reinforcement Learning-based Method for High-Accuracy Target Selection on Touchscreens.
Zhi Li, Maozheng Zhao, Dibyendu Das, Hang Zhao, Yan Ma, Wanyu Liu, Michel Beaudouin-Lafon, Fusheng Wang, IV Ramakrishnan, and Xiaojun Bi
📄 @ ACM CHI 2022
Modeling Touch Point Distribution with Rotational Dual Gaussian Model.
Yan Ma, Shumin Zhai, IV Ramakrishnan, and Xiaojun Bi
📄 @ ACM UIST 2021
Global Strong Solutions to 1-D Vacuum Free Boundary Problem for Compressible Navier–Stokes Equations with Variable Viscosity and Thermal Conductivity.
Zilai Li, Yan Ma, and Yaobin Ou
📄 @ Journal of Mathematical Analysis and Applications (JMAA), 2019

Teaching

  • Instructor:
  • CPS2231: Computer Programming – Fall 2025

  • CPS3440: Analysis of Algorithms – Fall 2025

  • Teaching Assistant:

  • CSE303: Introduction to the Theory of Computation – Fall 2019, Spring 2020
  • CSE548: Analysis of Algorithms (Graduate Level) – Fall 2020
  • CSE323: Human-Computer Interaction – Spring 2021, Spring 2025

Academic Services

  • Conference Reviewer:
    CHI, UIST, CSCW, IEEE VR, IMWUT, IUI, MobileHCI, ICWSM, DIS, IMX, IDC, CUI, SUI, ISS

  • Journal Reviewer:
    IJHCS