Hi there, I am Ming Zhao, a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in the School of Computing at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, supervised by Dr. Qiang Liu. Prior to joining UNL, I obtained my M.E. and B.E. degrees in Telecommunications Engineering from Xidian University in 2023 and 2020, respectively. My research interests include AI for wireless networks, network automation, reinforcement learning, and edge computing. During my Ph.D., I have published first-author papers at top conferences, including IEEE INFOCOM and IEEE GLOBECOM, and completed two research internships at Nokia Bell Labs.
I am actively seeking full-time opportunities in 2027, including but not limited to Research Scientist, Applied Scientist, and AI/ML Engineer roles related to AI-RAN, wireless systems, and network intelligence.
Education
M.E. in Telecommunications Engineering
Aug. 2020 – Jul. 2023B.E. in Telecommunications Engineering
Aug. 2016 – Jul. 2020Work Experience
Graduate Research Assistant
Aug. 2023 – Present- Developed interpretable AI/ML methods for Open RAN network automation, combining ensemble surrogate models and optimization solvers for transparent network slicing and resource allocation in near-RT RIC xApps (IEEE INFOCOM 2026).
- Developed adaptive online resource orchestration using per-slice Bayesian learning and distributed coordination under continual network dynamics, implemented as xApps on an O-RAN-compliant testbed (IEEE INFOCOM 2025).
- Contributed to the NSF-funded Husker-Net project deploying private 5G networks over CBRS across UNL campuses, including UE-RAN debugging, antenna and beam configuration, and end-to-end system integration.
Graduate Teaching Assistant
Jan. 2026 – May 2026- CSCE 464/864: Internet Systems and Programming.
Network System Research Intern
Jun. 2025 – Aug. 2025- Proposed a dual-layer interpretability framework that integrates expert knowledge into AI-driven network automation for transparent decision-making (patent filed).
- Designed a transformation mechanism to convert black-box AI models into explainable systems for network resource management, including RIC-RAN communication and xApp deployment in O-RAN.
Network System Research Intern
Jun. 2024 – Aug. 2024- Designed an adaptive online network-slicing orchestration framework with per-slice learning agents and hierarchical coordination in O-RAN (patent application published).
- Applied distributed optimization to manage system-wide resource constraints and dynamic slices in the near-RT RIC.
Honors & Awards
- Chancellor's Fellowship, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- Student Travel Grant, Workshop on Airborne Computing, UT Arlington
- Excellent Graduate Student Award, Xidian University
- National Scholarship, Ministry of Education, China
- Academic Scholarship, Xidian University
Skills
Python, C/C++, MATLAB, Linux, Git, Docker, AI, machine learning, reinforcement learning; Chinese (Native), English (Fluent).
Professional Service
Journal Reviewer: IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Signal Processing (2026); IEEE Wireless Communications (2025–2026); Multimedia Tools and Applications (2024–2026).
Conference Reviewer: IEEE INFOCOM Posters and Demos (2026); IEEE MOST Posters and Demos (2026); ACM/IEEE Symposium on Edge Computing Posters and Demos (2023).