Dong Z
- Research Program Mentor

PhD candidate at Ohio State University

Expertise

AI, physics, astrophysics

Bio

I am passionate about helping students explore AI in a serious, structured, and creative way. My background includes a Ph.D. in Astrophysics and industry experience in AI and data science, and I enjoy guiding students through AI project mentorship, machine learning concepts, and the practical use of AI tools. I especially like helping students turn curiosity into real projects that build both technical understanding and independent thinking. Outside of academics, I enjoy reading, writing, and exploring how AI is changing education, science, and society. I am interested in the bigger questions around technology, learning, and creativity, and I enjoy helping students connect what they learn to real-world problems. In my free time, I also enjoy reflecting on science, history, and the future of human learning.

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

Build Your Own AI Study Assistant

In this project, a student builds an AI tool that can help with studying in a specific subject, such as math, science, history, or reading. For example, the tool could answer questions, explain ideas in simpler language, summarize notes, create practice questions, or help students review mistakes. Through this project, the student learns how large language models work, how to give clear instructions to AI, how to organize information, and how to test whether the tool is actually helpful. The goal is to move beyond just using ChatGPT and start learning how to build a useful AI application for real people.

Build an AI Reading Coach

In this project, a student builds an AI tool that helps people understand and learn from what they read. For example, the tool could take an article or passage and then ask questions, explain difficult parts, check understanding, and guide the user to write a short response or free-style essay. The student would learn how to design helpful prompts, create an interactive learning experience, and think about how AI can support reading, writing, and critical thinking. The goal is to build something that does not just give answers, but helps users become stronger readers over time.

Coding skills

Python, LLM application development, AI agent workflows, prompt design, HTML, JavaScript, database, vibe coding

Languages I know

English, Mandarin

Teaching experience

I have experience mentoring high school students in AI project development, guiding them from topic selection and project design to implementation and presentation. I have also taught mathematics to high school students, including SAT Math, AP Calculus, and related STEM subjects, emphasizing both strong fundamentals and deeper conceptual understanding. During graduate school, I also worked with students on astrophysics research and helped support research projects that resulted in published papers.

Credentials

Work experience

Amazon (2022 - Current)

Machine Learning Scientist

IBM (2020 - 2022)

Data Scientist

Education

Nanjing Univesity

BS Bachelor of Science (2006)

Astrophysics

Ohio State University

PhD Doctor of Philosophy candidate