The team behind IFI
Scientists, engineers, educators, and students — working together to reimagine STEM education in the era of AI.
Management
-
Charles Xie, PhD
Founder, President & CEO · Chief Scientist
Charles is the founder of IFI. He was elected by the Board of Directors on August 26, 2020 as the inaugural President and CEO, responsible for raising funds, developing technology, and building partnerships. An award-winning scientist, he has over 25 years of experience in STEM research and education in America and Europe, including several years of training on materials and drug discovery based on computational physics and chemistry. He has authored or co-authored more than 70 peer-reviewed journal papers. He is currently working on artificially intelligent algorithms that can be used to create design tutors and assistants embedded in CAD+CAE software in the fields of renewable energy, materials design, and drug discovery. On the development avenue, he is the creator of AIMS, Energy2D, iFlow, Infrared Explorer, and Quantum Explorer, and a co-developer of Aladdin, Infrared Street View, and Telelab. Throughout his career, Charles has directed more than 15 research grants from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. More information on his Github page.
-
Dylan Bulseco, PhD
Senior Vice President · Principal Scientist
Dylan holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Biophysics from Oregon State University and has over 20 years of experience with fluorescence-based instruments, reagents, and applications, working on commercialization of research-use-only and diagnostic instruments as well as medical devices and therapeutics. He has served as PI, co-PI, or senior personnel on numerous grants from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Homeland Security. His current work at IFI focuses on integrating computational science, data science, and AI into life sciences and biotechnology — in a culturally relevant and responsive way. As a Native Hawaiian, he has also been involved in projects promoting science education and workforce development in both Massachusetts and Hawaii.
-
Osman Yaşar, PhD
Senior Vice President · Principal Scientist
Osman has a broad academic background including engineering physics (BS, PhD), theoretical physics (MS), nuclear engineering (MS), and computer science (MS), completing two master's degrees and a doctoral degree within three calendar years from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. A pioneer of high-performance computing and a former President of the Intel Supercomputer Users Group, he helped scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory develop parallel algorithms for grand-challenge problems in engine combustion, molecular dynamics, plasma ignition, and radiation hydrodynamics. He founded the world's first computational science undergraduate degree program at the State University of New York and, through NSF funding, developed a computational pedagogical content knowledge (CPACK) framework and trained more than 1,200 teachers. On behalf of the NSF, he testified before the U.S. Congress about his efforts in computational thinking education. He has published about a hundred peer-reviewed articles and was recognized in Türkiye as one of the top 25 national icons in 2005.
-
Kenny Yang
Chief Financial Officer
Kenny is responsible for accounting, human resources, supplies procurement, and grant management. His prior professional experience includes finance, accounting, tax preparation, and IT support. He received a B.S. in economics-finance from Bentley University.
Staff
-
Jane Davis
Student Researcher
Jane is a junior at the University of Hawaiʻi Mānoa pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. She has experience doing research projects with robots and internships researching and developing emerging web designs. She is excited to learn more about local language models, RAGs, agents, and antibody engineering.
-
Xiaotong Ding
Principal Software Engineer
Xiaotong graduated with a Master of Science in computer science and a Master of Science in mechanical engineering, both from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He is currently working on Aladdin, AIMS, and Telelab using full-stack technology. Since joining IFI in 2021, he has been a co-author on seven peer-reviewed journal papers.
-
Aarman Jamiluddin
Student Researcher
Aarman is a high school student who loves to code, with a huge passion for AI. He has completed four Kaggle courses related to machine learning and data science and created impressive projects using generative AI. He also enjoys programming in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and uses React to create web pages. Currently, he teaches programming and is working on image-classification models, including an exciting project about an AI tool that teachers can use to enhance their classes.
-
Andriy Kashyrskyy
Software Engineer & Data Scientist
Andriy works on the NexLAB project, which supports learning and research by linking data across experiments and providing visual analytics for scientific inquiry. He recently graduated from Minerva University with a Bachelor's Degree in computer science, arts, and humanities. Andriy is originally from Ukraine.
-
Koalani Okada
Student Researcher
Koa is a junior at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, pursuing a bachelor's degree in Computer Science. She has a strong interest in robotics and is currently working on NexLab projects to build her skills with large language models (LLMs) and local AI systems.
-
Jacob Sagrans, PhD
Director of Data Science Education
Jacob is responsible for integrating data science into the science curriculum across the board. He is a researcher, educator, data analyst, and musician working in STEM education, with a focus on data science. In his work he supports research, implementation, and administration of programs for middle and high school youth, and designs and leads professional development for educators. In 2023 he graduated with a master's in data analytics from Northeastern University's Roux Institute. Prior to entering STEM education in 2019, Jacob received a BA in music from Grinnell College and a PhD in musicology from McGill University. He is a lifelong classical singer and brings his musical background to work on data sonification.
-
Shannon H. Sung, PhD
Learning Scientist · Director of Assessment & Evaluation
Shannon holds a Master's Degree in middle school math and science education from Wesleyan College and a Ph.D. in science education from the University of Georgia. Before joining IFI she was a middle school science teacher in Taiwan and an assistant professor at Spelman College. She has served as PI or co-PI on three NSF-funded projects and worked on an HHMI project for promoting interdisciplinary learning of science in historically black colleges. She has published more than 20 peer-reviewed journal papers.
-
Fengyi Zhang, PhD
Senior Guest Scientist
Fengyi holds a Ph.D. in Semiconductor Materials and a Master's degree in Physics. With over 20 years of experience, he has been deeply engaged in the research and development of single-crystal growth technologies and equipment for Si, GaAs, and sapphire. He possesses extensive expertise in semiconductor materials manufacturing, process equipment development, materials characterization, and engineering applications. He has published multiple academic papers and holds 17 patents. He is currently highly focused on the advancement of artificial intelligence, viewing AI as a core driving force for transforming the world. He is actively exploring its applications in STEM education, engineering practice, professional database development, knowledge management, and commercial collaboration.