Oct 13 2023
Published by
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NYU Shanghai and East China Normal University are excited to announce the winners of the second annual N.E.T. Student Awards Program for Research Excellence and Community Impact. The Research Excellence Award honors students who have made outstanding achievements in scientific research, while the Community Impact Award recognizes and encourages students’ contributions to the development of the N.E.T. Program and the broader N.E.T. community.
Launched in 2015, NYU Shanghai - ECNU Joint Graduate Training Program (N.E.T.) is a program offering students an enriched graduate education. Students are mentored by NYU Shanghai faculty advisors and benefit from educational and research resources of NYU Shanghai and East China Normal University. Currently, NYU Shanghai partners with 10 ECNU Schools in graduate student recruitment across 15 majors.
This year’s awardees embody the diverse strengths of the N.E.T. community, reflected in their experience, areas of focus, and approach to research. Five talented and motivated students were selected from a pool of highly competitive applicants. The rigorous selection process, led by a faculty and leadership committee, included student application review, faculty recommendations, and culminated in a mini-symposium with a final oral presentation.
Research Excellence Award Winners
Cheng Tong, PhD student of ecology
Advisor: Professor Guan ChengHe
Cheng Tong started her PhD study in 2021. Under the guidance of Assistant Professor of Urban Science and Policy Guan Chenghe, Cheng has joined the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Urban Design and Urban Science (LOUD) and participated in multiple research projects. Cheng was one of the corresponding authors of “Evaluating the impact of water protection policy on urban growth: A case study of Jiaxing,” published in 2023 in the journal Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science.
“My current research focuses on urban growth simulation and urban form analytics of the Yangtze River Delta Region within the framework of low carbon city planning policy. This region is characterized by high development, dense population, and diverse land use types, as well as variations in urban development and environmental issues. Our approach involves selecting representative cities from a subset of classification factors, and simulating their urban form in relation to carbon emission reduction objectives specified in urban planning documents. We aim to establish a time series relationship between these objectives and urban form, to identify suitable urban form patterns that can effectively meet carbon emission reduction goals while maintaining a sustainable urban development trend.”
Lu Yuhan, PhD student of Cognitive Neuroscience
Advisor: Professor Tian Xing
Lu Yuhan was admitted by the N.E.T. PhD program in 2021. He is a member of Speech, Language, and Neuroscience Group (SLANG), a joint research team co-led by Associate Professor of Neural and Cognitive Sciences Tian Xing. Lu focuses on using neuroscientific techniques to explore how the brain processes speech and language. As the first author, Lu’s paper titled “Delta-band neural tracking primarily reflects rule-based chunking instead of semantic relatedness between words” was published in 2022 in the journal Cerebral Cortex.
“My work is driven by a desire to unravel the mysteries of human cognitive functions, with the ultimate goal of contributing to advancements in communication and rehabilitation for individuals with speech and hearing problems. My work examines how the brain instantly and efficiently derives meaning from sequences of words. Our brains group words into large structures (e.g., phrases and sentences) based on syntax, rather than analyzing the individual meanings of words one at a time, and then connecting them together.”
Xie Mingyang, PhD student of Cognitive Neuroscience
Advisor: Professor Li Li
Xie Mingyang started her PhD journey in 2019. She is a member of NYU Shanghai’s Perception and Action Lab and is advised by Professor of Neural Science and Psychology Li Li. Over the years, Xie has published papers in international journals, such as Journal of Vision.
“When we first had our enrollment, I found that Professor Li was doing some very interesting work with virtual reality (VR), and I really wanted to conduct experiments using this technology. VR has become a powerful tool in our studies, enabling us to simulate motion in ways that feel real, even though you’re not actually moving. This control over experimental variables allows us to explore the complex interplay between visual and non-visual sensory inputs. In our behavioral studies, we aim to uncover the essence of perception, and through VR, we can study how visual and non-visual information work together.
My current work seeks to understand how our brains interpret visual and non-visual information to help us perceive object motion during self-motion, a scenario frequently encountered in daily life. For example, when you are driving a car on the road, being able to quickly perceive the movement of other cars is crucial for avoiding accidents.”
Zheng Xiaodan, master’s student of Cognitive Neuroscience
Advisor: Professor Tian Xing
Zheng Xiaodan pursued research in higher-order cognitive functions in Associate Professor of Neural and Cognitive Sciences Tian Xing’s Speech, Language, and Neuroscience Group (SLANG). As the first author, Zheng’s paper on corollary discharge was published in the journal eNeuro in 2022. Zheng was in the last year of her master’s when she applied for this year’s award in May. She graduated in July and now has launched her career at the Shanghai Aircraft Design and Research Institute.
Reflecting upon her academic journey, Zheng was grateful for her advisor Professor Tian Xing’s guidance and support. “Professor Tian is highly dedicated to his work and maintains a rigorous approach. He provided suggestions on every small detail of the experiment, and readily helped troubleshoot problems throughout the process. From the overall framework to the wording of a paper, he patiently guided me through each step along the way. Whenever the research results did not meet our expectations, he would show me new ways to analyze the problem from multiple angles and always encouraged me to go on.He emphasized the importance of learning how to plan and how to break the process downstep by step. In addition to academic research, Professor Tian also supported me in pursuing an off-campus internship, an opportunity that allowed me to explore different career paths and gain valuable experiences beyond the academic realm.”
Community Impact Award Winner
He Jiayu, master’s student of Cognitive Neuroscience
Advisor: Professor Li Gu
He Jiayu started her master’s study in Applied Psychology in 2022. She is a member of Professor Li Gu ’s Diversity Science Lab, where her research focuses on the mental health of sexual minorities.
“Being a member of the N.E.T. Community and the student representative this year, I have had the opportunity to assist other N.E.T. students, which has brought me great joy. By assisting the N.E.T. office in organizing activities, I have been able to develop and refine my organizational and coordination skills. Also, I have had the chance to meet students from various departments and research fields, which has fostered new interdisciplinary exchanges. These interactions have enabled us to share information, exchange technical and theoretical perspectives, and lay foundations for future cooperation. The opportunities provided through these experiences have significantly expanded my network resources.”
Congratulations to this year’s N.E.T. Award winners! The N.E.T. Program Award Committee commends the hard work and determination that these students have demonstrated and wishes to encourage the continued success of their academic research careers.