Hi, i'm Chau Vu


a software engineer and academic HCI researcher from Los Angeles and Hanoi. Senior undergraduate ('26) studying Computer Science at Pomona College.

I aim to augment human experiences and abilities through creating multisensory and meaningful technologies that capture—and even challenge—our reality. My interests are situated in the areas of spatial computing, 3D graphics, multisensory x AI interfaces, and personal informatics.

Some of the applications I developed range from augmenting our 3D graphics experiences with GPU-powered ray tracing at Microsoft, to enhancing human creativity, education, and data reflection with novel tools and theoretical design frameworks. Honored to have received Best Paper awards at top-tier HCI research venues including UIST and ACM CHI.

Much heart ♡,


github | linkedin

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Publication

  • Understanding Temporality of Reflection in Personal Informatics through Baby Tracking

    Julianne Louie*, Tara Mukund*, Chau Vu* , Daniel Epstein, and Alexandra Papoutsaki.

    Honorable Mention Best Paper (Top 5% of Submissions) at CHI 2025

    Details

  • Computational Scaffolding of Composition, Value, and Color for Disciplined Drawing

    Jiaju Ma, Chau Vu*, Asya Lyubavina Vaisberg*, Catherine Ma, Jingyi Li.

    Best Paper (Top 1% of Submissions) at UIST 2025


Industry

Microsoft

Software Engineering Intern

May - Aug 2025

I spent my 2025 summer in the beautiful Microsoft Redmond campus, working on state-of-the-art GPU-powered ray-tracing features.

github page (inspired by a sakura forest)

Awards

Research awards

I'm honored to have published and received Best Paper awards at premier academic conferences in human-computer interaction, including a Best Paper (Top 1% Submissions) at UIST 2025 and an Honorable Mention Best Paper (Top 5% Submissions) at ACM SIGCHI 2025.

My work would not have been possible without the support of my advisors at Pomona College & UC Irvine: Prof. Alexandra Papoutsaki, Prof. Jingyi Li, Prof. Daniel Epstein, and collaborators at Stanford University (PhD Jiaju Ma).


Other selected awards

Google Product Inclusive & Equity Summit Winner (2023)

Selected among 60 student leaders to attend the first Google Product Inclusion & Equity Summit, where I presented with other scholars on Google tech initiatives & design methodologies aimed at creating inclusive and equitable products for marginalized communities.


Rockoff Foundation Research Fellowship (2023)

Awarded the Rockoff Foundation Research Fellowship, I co-host the symposium "History of Assistive Technologies" under Professor Angelina Chin, Pomona History Department.

Details


Other academic awards

2022 - Pomona International Scholarship (the highest scholarship covering the full cost of undergraduate program)

2023 - Google Conference Scholarship (scholarship covering full cost to Grace Hopper Conference 23)

2024 - Best Insights Main Prize at UCLA Datafest

2024 - Pomona College Scholar (awarded to students with high GPAs)


Programming


Visit GitHub for a full list of my projects here. I love building and stay hands-on with programming across my projects, whether research- or non-research-related.

languages: Java; Python; C++; JavaScript; HTML; CSS; Haskell; SQL

technologies: Web development (ReactJS, NodeJS, MongoDB, Flask, Django); Arduino; XR development (Unity); Postgres; Pytorch (FastAI); Git

UX: Qualitative Research; Thematic analysis; Surveys; Interviews; Prototyping (Figma)

learning: Direct3D, HLSL

Misc

Outside of work, you will find me thrifting, getting lost in movies (check out my Letterboxd), and vlogging with my digicam when I travel (IG: @whereschau)