Email: litian@uchicago.edu
(Note: My CMU email address does not work anymore.)
        
I am an Assistant Professor at the Computer Science Department and the Data Science Institute at the University of Chicago.
My research generally centers around large-scale machine learning and optimization. Specific topics include:
Efficient distributed training with applications to federated/collaborative learning (FedProx, FedDANE, Ditto)
Risk-averse or risk-seeking learning with applications to fairness and robustness (q-FFL, TERM)
I am particularly interested in designing, analyzing, and evaluating principled learning algorithms, modeling practical assumptions (e.g., communication constraints and heterogeneity) to address the above issues, as well as their interplays.
I am always looking for strong and motivated undergraduate and graduate students and postdocs. For Ph.D. applicants, please apply through the CS PhD program and/or the DS PhD program, and mention my name in your application(s).