Zijia Li

About Me

I am an MSE student in Systems Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania, where I am a master’s student member of the Generative Machine Learning Research (GMLR) Lab working with Prof. Jiatao Gu. My current work centers on generative world models, with a broader interest in how learned representations and generative dynamics can support planning and embodied intelligence.

I am currently applying for Ph.D. programs starting in Fall 2027. I hope to pursue research at the intersection of world models, embodied AI, and generative modeling.

Research Interests

• World Models & Embodied AI: JEPA-style representation learning, latent dynamics, and model-based planning
• Generative Models: diffusion models, flow matching, and efficient generative learning
• Foundations of Machine Learning: mathematical and theoretical perspectives on representation and generative modeling

Education

• University of Pennsylvania, MSE in Systems Engineering, 2025-2027 (expected)
• University of Nottingham / University of Nottingham Ningbo China, B.S. in Mathematics with Applied Mathematics, 2021-2025

Research Experience

• Master’s Student, GMLR Lab, University of Pennsylvania
  Exploring generative world models, including JEPA-style representations, generative formulations for planning, and evaluation on robotic and navigation tasks.
• Research Assistant, Intelligent Computing and System Lab, Zhejiang University
  Studied flow matching and parallel sampling methods for diffusion models.
• Research Assistant / Intern, University of Nottingham and Northwestern University
  Worked on PINNs for wave equations, diffusion-model fine-tuning, and Transformer-based in-context learning.

Selected Projects

• Image2GPS: Built a campus camera-location prediction model using ConvNeXt, grid-based classification, and coordinate regression.
• Multimodal Stock Price Prediction: Developed a forecasting pipeline that integrates market data, fundamentals, and sentiment features.
• River Flow Prediction: Designed a hybrid SARIMA-LSTM model for daily river-flow forecasting in the UK.

Selected Honors

• Dean’s Scholarship, University of Nottingham Ningbo China
• Zhejiang Provincial Scholarship
• Honorable Mention, Mathematical Contest in Modeling
• Third Prize, Formula Student Electric China 2022