Undergraduate Research Assistant Student Spotlight

Siqi Chen

My name is Siqi Chen, and I’m an accounting student in the integrated MPA program with a minor in MIS. Curiosity about how AI might shape our future, especially how people think and behave, led me to work with professor Sirkka Jarvenpaa. As an undergraduate research assistant (URA), I review literature on trust and vulnerability in interactions with AI and analyze large AI incident databases to understand how they communicate harm and inform governance. I am now examining how autonomous AI agents request, coordinate, and escalate assistance for help and shape human involvement. I take initiative in exploring unfamiliar topics and enjoy contributing unexpected ideas, drawing on evidence from different sources to develop reports and visualizations. My goal is to become a CPA, and I’m discovering how research and professional experience can inform each other. Outside academics, I’ve played volleyball for 14 years and am now training for my first half-marathon. These experiences have encouraged me to follow my interests and stay open to learning something new. Feel free to reach out at florence0912@utexas.edu!