Yale Engineering welcomes four new faculty members
Yale Engineering is pleased to announce the four new faculty members that joined the school this month, bringing expertise in quantum computing hardware, machine learning and AI systems, network neuroscience, and the science of reliable and responsible AI.
"These distinguished scholars bring with them vast expertise spanning some of the most consequential areas in engineering and the applied sciences today," said Jeffrey F. Brock, Yale Engineering Dean and William S. Massey Professor of Mathematics. "Their work will advance groundbreaking and interdisciplinary research across engineering, the applied sciences, and the broader Yale community."
Read on to meet the newest Yale Engineering faculty members:
Dani Bassett
Wu Tsai Professor
Biomedical Engineering & Psychology
Dani Bassett uses graph theory and network analysis to understand the control and dynamics of complex systems. Their cross-disciplinary research has yielded discoveries about the organization of brain networks, the computational principles underlying human learning and thought, and the origins of curiosity. Their research, teaching, and mentoring represent a paradigm shift in thinking about the mind, brain, and behavior from a network perspective that connects across levels and disciplines. Bassett's honors include a MacArthur Fellowship, an NSF CAREER Award, and election as a Fellow of the American Physical Society. Bassett holds a fully joint appointment in both the Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Department of Psychology.
A. Feder Cooper
Assistant Professor
Computer Science
A. Feder Cooper's research spans reliable and scalable machine learning, with contributions in privacy, security, and the evaluation of generative AI systems, as well as machine learning systems and uncertainty estimation. Cooper also works in tech policy and law, focusing on communicating the capabilities and limits of AI to interdisciplinary audiences and the public. Cooper's research has been recognized at top AI/ML venues and covered by major publications including The Atlantic and The Washington Post.
Kazuki Irie
Assistant Professor
Computer Science & Wu Tsai Institute
Kazuki Irie conducts fundamental research in deep learning in pursuit of ever more capable artificial intelligence systems. His work centers on developing general-purpose sequence processing neural networks and learning algorithms, and exploring their potential in modeling natural intelligence.
Bichen Zhang
Assistant Professor
Applied Physics & Yale Quantum Institute
Bichen Zhang develops experimental quantum systems for fault-tolerant quantum computing, with a focus on neutral atom arrays. His research addresses one of the central challenges in quantum computing: building machines that can operate reliably despite the fragility of quantum information. By developing hardware capable of detecting, understanding, and correcting errors as they occur, his work aims to advance quantum computers from small-scale demonstrations toward large-scale, fault-tolerant systems.
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Published Date
Jul 21, 2026
