Current Research Group Members

In reverse chronological order of joining our group:

• Taylor Folkersen, programmer/analyst, joined 2024.
  Topic: MCGS solver for combinatorial games
• Owen Randall, PhD student, undergraduate summer student 2021, MSc 2021-2023, fast-tracked into PhD program Jan 2023.
  Topic: solving games by search, Expected Work Search algorithm (EWS)
• Hongming Zhang, PhD student, Statistical Machine Learning, joined group in Fall 2020.
  Topic: reinforcement learning, empirical MDP

Alumni

In reverse chronological order:

• Henry Du, MSc 2023-2025. undergraduate summer student 2022-23.
  MSc thesis: Sorted Bucket Hash and combinatorial game algorithms: two efficient solvers for the game of NoGo.
  Latest known: PhD student, U. Alberta.
• Timo Bertram, PhD 2020-2025 at FAW, JKU Linz, co-supervised with Juffi Fürnkranz.
  PhD thesis: Contrastive learning for imperfect information games.
  Latest known: researcher at JKU Linz.
• Asmaul Husna, MSc 2022-2024.
  Thesis: Analyzing KataGo: A comparative evaluation against perfect play in the game of Go.
  Latest known: PhD student, U. Alberta.
• Ehsan Futuhi, MSc 2022-2024.
  Thesis: Improving Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient for sparse reward and goal-conditioned continuous control.
  Latest known: research assistant, U. Alberta.
• Jiuqi Wang, MSc 2021-2023, co-supervised with Jonathan Schaeffer.
  Thesis: Deep Dive on Checkers Endgame Data.
  Latest known: PhD student, University of Virginia.
• Mark Usmanov, undergrad student, Summer 2023.
  Topic: Efficient solver for combinatorial games.
• Ting-Han Wei, postdoc 2019-2023.
  Latest known: Professor, Kochi University of Technology, Japan.
• Zeyi Wang, MSc 2020-2022.
  Thesis: MooZi: A High-Performance Game-playing System that Plans with a Learned Model.
  Latest known: Co-founder and CTO, Astrus.
• Dat Tran, undergrad student, Summer 2022.
  Topic: opening book for small board Go solver.
  Latest known: PhD student, Polytechnic Institute of Paris
• Bedir Tapkan, MSc 2020-2022, co-supervised with Ryan Hayward.
  Thesis: Dark Hex: A Large Scale Imperfect Information Game.
  Latest known: developer for a startup in BC.
• Chenjun Xiao, MSc 2014-2016, PhD 2016-2023, Dale Schuurmans co-supervised from 2018.
  Thesis: Advances in Simulation-Based Search and Batch Reinforcement Learning.
  Latest known: Assistant Professor, Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen).
• Farnaz Kohankhaki, MSc 2020-2022.
  Thesis: Monte Carlo Tree Search and Model Uncertainty, 2022.
  Latest known: Associate applied machine learning specialist, Vector Institute.
• Kiarash Aghakasiri, MSc 2020-2022.
  Thesis: Monte Carlo Tree Search in the Presence of Model Uncertainty, 2022.
  Latest known: PhD student at U. Alberta.
• Md Solimul Chowdhury, PhD 2016-2021, co-supervised with Jia You.
  Thesis: Empirical Insights Driven CDCL SAT Algorithms, 2021.
  Latest known: NSERC Postdoc at CMU with Marijn Heule.
• Rejwana Haque, MSc 2020-2021.
  Thesis: On the Road to Perfection? Evaluating LeelaChess Zero Against Endgame Tablebases, 2021.
  Latest known: lecturer at U. Alberta.
• Prateek Garg, undergrad student from IIT Delhi, online internship in Summer 2020.
  Topic: MMCTS.
• Christian Jans, undergrad student, NSERC USRA in Summer 2020.
  Topic: Machine Learning for the game of Clobber.
• Chao Gao, PhD 2015-2020, co-supervised with Ryan Hayward.
  Thesis: Search and Learning Algorithms for Two-Player Games with Application to the Game of Hex.
  Latest known: Senior Researcher at Huawei Canada Research Center, Edmonton.
• Amir Shukayev, undergrad student 2020
  Topic: Go endgame solver.
  Latest known: intern at Jane Street Capital.
• Yunpeng Tang, MSc 2017-2019, undergraduate summer student 2015 and 2016.
  Thesis and a page about Yunpeng Tang's MSc work on algorithms for random sampling from time-changing discrete distributions.
• Gaojian Fan, PhD 2014-19, co-supervised with Rob Holte. I joined as co-supervisor in 2016.
  Thesis: Understanding and Improving Merge-and-Shrink Abstraction for Cost Optimal Planning. 2014 GPA Award for graduate students, 2014 PhD Early Achievement Award, 2019 PhD Outstanding Thesis Award, all in Computing Science, University of Alberta. 2019 nominated for Governor General's Gold Medal.
  Latest known: Google Waterloo.
• Will Fenton, undergraduate student, NSERC USRA summer 2019
• Mohammad Ajallooeian, co-supervised with Csaba Szepesvari, PhD student 2014-2018.
  Latest known: Machine Learning Scientist and Educator, Amii, Edmonton.
• Farhad Haqiqat, MSc 2018.
  Thesis: Analyzing the impact of knowledge and search in Monte Carlo Tree Search in Go.
  Latest known: Lead Data Scientist at Nanoprecise Sci Corp.
• Andrew Jacobsen, undergraduate student, NSERC USRA 2015 and 2016, NSERC Engage 2017.
  Latest known: PhD student in our department.
• Fan Xie, MSc started 2010, transfered to PhD program 2012, PhD 2015 co-supervised with Rob Holte.
  Thesis: Exploration in Greedy Best-First Search for Satisficing Planning.
  2016 Faculty of Science Dissertation Award.
  Latest known: Google Waterloo.
• Weifeng Chen, MSc 2015.
  Thesis: Motion planning with Monte Carlo random walks.
  Latest known: Amazon Web Services
• Jacob Ridgway, HIP student, summer 2015.
  Latest known: University of Toronto.
• Yeqin Zhang, MSc 2015.
  Latest known: LinkedIn.
  Thesis: TDS+: Improving Temperature Discovery Search
• Hootan Nakhost, PhD 2013.
  Thesis: Random Walk Planning: Theory, Practice, and Application.
  2013 PhD Outstanding Thesis Award in Computing Science, University of Alberta.
  CAIAC Dissertation Award for best PhD thesis from the Canadian Artificial Intelligence Association.
  Latest known: Senior Software Engineer at Google Waterloo.
• Kazuki Yoshizoe, visiting professor 2011, 2013, 2014.
  Latest known: professor at Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
• Sumudu Fernando, programmer/analyst 2012/13.
  Latest known: Google.
• Jiaxing Song, MSc 2012.
  Thesis: An Enhanced Solver For The Game Of Amazons.
  Latest known: SoundHound, Toronto.
• Gabe Van Eyck, MSc 2012.
  Thesis: Move Groups as a General Enhancement for Monte Carlo Tree Search.
  Latest known: Riot Games, California.
• Colin Hunt, NSERC USRA summer student, 2012.
  Latest known: Software Developer at Pason, Calgary.
• Aja Huang, postdoc (co-supervised with R. Hayward), 2011-12.
  AlphaGo lead programmer.
  Latest known: Staff Research Scientist at Google DeepMind in London, England
• Abdallah Saffidine, visiting PhD student from Université Paris Dauphine, 2011-2012.
  Latest known: Research Associate at the School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney.
• Saradha Sankaran, programmer/analyst 2011-12.
  Latest known: lead consultant for British Telecom in Bengaluru, India.
• Kunihito Hoki, Assistant Professor at the University of Electro-Communications in Tokyo, visiting professor for 1.5 months, 2012.
• Hilmar Finnsson, PhD student visiting from University of Reykjavik, 3 months, 2011.
  Latest known: postdoc University of Reykjavik.
• Henry Brausen, NSERC USRA student (joint with R. Hayward), summer 2011.
  Latest known: Eleven Engineering, Inc.
• Tomoyuki Kaneko, Assistant Professor from University of Tokyo, author of the top shogi program GPS shogi, visited for 2 months in 2011.
• David Tom, MSc 2010.
  Thesis: Investigating UCT and RAVE: steps towards a more robust method.
  Latest known: Technical Analyst at Tantus Solutions Group.
• Broderick Arneson, Senior programmer/analyst 2010.
  Latest known: Google.
• Arpad Rimmel, Postdoc 2010.
  Latest known: Supelec.
• Teri Drummond, undergraduate summer student 2010.
  Latest known: Bioware.
• Xiaozhen Niu, PhD student 2004-2010.
  Latest known: CGI, Victoria, BC.
• David Silver PhD 2009, co-supervised with Rich Sutton.
  Thesis: Reinforcement Learning and Simulation-Based Search in Computer Go.
  Outstanding PhD Thesis Award.
  AlphaGo lead architect and leader of the Reinforcement Learning group.
  Latest known: Google DeepMind in London, England,
• Ling Zhao PhD student 2002-2009.
• Markus Enzenberger Senior programmer/analyst 2002-2009. Main author of Fuego.
• Travis Dick Undergraduate summer student 2008, NSERC USRA summer student 2009. MSc at UAlberta with Rich Sutton,
  Latest known: PhD student at CMU.
• Adi Botea PhD 2006, co-supervised with Jonathan Schaeffer.
  Adi's PhD thesis
  Latest known: Eaton, Ireland.
• Akihiro Kishimoto PhD 2005. Kishi's PhD thesis
  Latest known: Nvidia, Japan
• Zhichao Li: summer student / programmer, 2002 - 2005.
  Latest known: Bioware.
• Xiaozhen Niu MSc 2004.
  Latest known: CGI, Victoria, BC.
• Mack Male: summer student 2004.
  Latest known: Edmonton-based entrepreneurial journalist and founder of digital publishing company Taproot Publishing Inc.
• Roy de Bruijn: summer student 2003, co-supervised with Rob Holte.
• Jianjun Zhou MSc 2003.
  Latest known: Research Scientist at Shenzhen Research Institute of Big Data.
• Ling Zhao MSc 2002, co-supervised with Jonathan Schaeffer.
• Nathan Bullock MSc 2002, co-supervised with Jonathan Schaeffer.
  Latest known: software engineer at Google.
• Theodore Tegos: MSc 2002, co-supervised with Jonathan Schaeffer.
• Andrew Creskey: summer student 2001, co-supervised with Rob Holte.

External examiner for PhD defense, PhD candidacy

• Josh Jung, PhD defense, University of Waterloo, 2023
• Ioannis Antonoglou, PhD defense, University College London, 2023
• Mihai Dobre, PhD defense, University of Edinburgh, 2018
• Neil McKay, PhD defense, Dalhousie University, 2016
• Abdallah Saffidine, PhD defense, Université Paris Dauphine, 2013
• Hilmar Finnsson, PhD defense, University of Reykjavik, May 21, 2012
• Fabien Teytaud, PhD defense, Université Paris Sud, Dec 8, 2011
• Junichi Hashimoto, PhD defense, JAIST, Feb 1, 2011
• Hilmar Finnsson, PhD candidacy, University of Reykjavik, July 2, 2010
• Guillaume Chaslot, PhD assessment committee, Maastricht University, 2010
• Arpad Rimmel, PhD defense, Université Paris Sud, 2009
• Paul Ottaway, PhD defense, Dalhousie, 2009

External examiner for MSc defense

• Hilmar Finnsson, University of Reykjavik, 2007
• Jonheidur Isleifsdottir, University of Reykjavik, 2007

Created: Sep 13, 2000 Last modified: Mar 5, 2025