Ph.D. Student in Computer Science, University of UtahI am currently a Ph.D. student in Computer Science at the Kahlert School of Computing, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, advised by Prof. Mu Zhang.
My research focuses on AI and LLM/VLM-based agent security, with particular interest in security challenges arising in AI workflows where machine learning models are tightly intertwined with code logic. I study emerging attack surfaces in LLM/VLM-powered agents, such as web-based and tool-using agents, and investigate how adversaries can manipulate perception, reasoning, memory, and action pipelines to induce harmful or unintended behaviors (e.g., deceiving agents into executing incorrect actions in real-world tasks). More broadly, I am interested in understanding new security risks introduced by AI-enabled applications and AI-driven software development processes.
Before my Ph.D., I earned my B.E. in Computer Science from
Northeastern University, China,
advised by Prof. Yanfeng Zhang.
I have industry experience as a software and systems engineer at CelerData, Kuaishou, and Meituan, focused on large-scale data systems, infrastructure, and engineering-driven problem solving.
I am open to research collaborations and internship opportunities in AI security, LLM/VLM-based agents, and secure AI systems. Please feel free to reach out via email or WeChat if you are interested in collaborating.
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Texas A&M UniversityPh.D. in Geographic Information SystemsAug. 2025 - Present -
University of Southern CaliforniaM.S. in Spatial Data ScienceAug. 2023 - May. 2025 -
Nanjing Audit UniversityB.A. in Economics, FinanceSep. 2018 - Jul. 2022
Honors & Awards
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TAMU Dean's Doctoral FellowshipAug. 2025
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2025 AAG GISS Student Paper Competition Honorable MentionMar. 2025
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2025 EIP Student of the Year AwardMar. 2025
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Most Suitably Applied Analysis Methodology AwardFeb. 2025
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Bronze medal in Kaggle's Child Mind Institute - Detect Sleep StatesJan. 2024
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Outstanding Graduate AwardJun. 2022
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Provincial Champion of The World Mandarin Debating ChampionshipSep. 2020
Experience
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The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou)Research Assistant - AI4City LabAug. 2024 - Aug.2025 -
Harvard UniversityResearch Assistant - Spatial Data LabMay. 2024 - Sep. 2024 -
City of HopeData Science InternFeb. 2024 - May. 2024 -
The Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityResearch AssistantSep. 2023 - May. 2024 -
NetEase YoudaoData Analyst InternJan. 2023 - Apr. 2023
News
Selected Publications (view all )
Visual Access to Urban Greenery from Indoor Spaces: A 3D Window View Approach for Large U.S. Metropolitan Areas
Zongrong Li, Lei Zou# (# corresponding author)
Ongoing 2025
Visual Access to Urban Greenery from Indoor Spaces: A 3D Window View Approach for Large U.S. Metropolitan Areas
Zongrong Li, Lei Zou# (# corresponding author)
Ongoing 2025
Bridging Street View Coverage Disparities through Geographic Style–Preserving Generation from Satellite View
Zongrong Li, Shaoqiong Dai, Wufan Zhao# (# corresponding author)
Under Review, ISPRS Journal of Photo grammetry and Remote Sensing 2025
Bridging Street View Coverage Disparities through Geographic Style–Preserving Generation from Satellite View
Zongrong Li, Shaoqiong Dai, Wufan Zhao# (# corresponding author)
Under Review, ISPRS Journal of Photo grammetry and Remote Sensing 2025
ViT-Based Attention Mechanism Uncovers Disparities in Urban Economic Landscapes Across Cities
Zongrong Li, Jinyi Wang, Junhao Xu, Bingchen Li, Siqin Wang# (# corresponding author)
Ongoing 2025
ViT-Based Attention Mechanism Uncovers Disparities in Urban Economic Landscapes Across Cities
Zongrong Li, Jinyi Wang, Junhao Xu, Bingchen Li, Siqin Wang# (# corresponding author)
Ongoing 2025
Integrating Earth Observation Data Into the Tri-environmental Evaluation of the Economic Cost of Natural Disasters: A Case Study of 2025 LA Wildfire
Zongrong Li, Haiyang Li, Yifan Yang, Siqin Wang#, Yinxin Zhu (# corresponding author)
Under review, International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation(JAG) 2025
Integrating Earth Observation Data Into the Tri-environmental Evaluation of the Economic Cost of Natural Disasters: A Case Study of 2025 LA Wildfire
Zongrong Li, Haiyang Li, Yifan Yang, Siqin Wang#, Yinxin Zhu (# corresponding author)
Under review, International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation(JAG) 2025
Buildingmultiview: Extracting 11 Multi-Scale Building Characteristics from Satellite and Street View Imagery with Large Language Models
Zongrong Li, Yunlei Su, Filip Biljecki, Wufan Zhao# (# corresponding author)
Under review, International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation(JAG) 2025
Buildingmultiview: Extracting 11 Multi-Scale Building Characteristics from Satellite and Street View Imagery with Large Language Models
Zongrong Li, Yunlei Su, Filip Biljecki, Wufan Zhao# (# corresponding author)
Under review, International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation(JAG) 2025
Multi-source tri-environmental conceptual framework for fire impact analysis
Zongrong Li, Qiluo Li, Haiyang Li, Siqin Wang#, Yi Qi# (# corresponding author)
Urban Informatics 2024
Multi-source tri-environmental conceptual framework for fire impact analysis
Zongrong Li, Qiluo Li, Haiyang Li, Siqin Wang#, Yi Qi# (# corresponding author)
Urban Informatics 2024
