Lillian Lee

Charles Roy Davis Professor (having previously assisted and associated) Department of Computer Science and Department of Information Science A.B. Cornell 1993, math and computer science; Ph.D. Harvard 1997, computer science.

The crudest curriculum vitae crows and flaps its wings in a style peculiar to the undersigner. I doubt whether you can even give your telephone number without giving something of yourself. –Nabokov, Nikolai Gogol

Research, professional activities and recognition

Cornell undergraduates interested in a Fall 2020 research position: I am not currently taking applications. When applications are open again, prerequisites are: some background in machine learning, programming experience at least at the level of CS3110, and tolerance for (and ideally, love of) the complexities of human language.

Other students and people inquiring after postdocs: I don't have any research positions available for people who aren't current Cornell students anywhere between summer 2020 and summer 2021 inclusive, and I am unable to join any external thesis committees, due to my commitments to my current students. I am sorry, and I realize that this situation means that I am missing out on the opportunity to work with some fantastic people.

• Research summary
• Groups: my students :: NLP :: machine learning :: AI
• Papers: includes links to associated talk slides, data, etc.
• Other talk slides
   
  
• Awards, press, offices, editorial boards, outreach, etc.
• This year's conference reviewing: I am declining all reviewing invitations until Jan 2021; I'm taking a break from reviewing/organization service after (a fantastic!) six years as TACL co-Editor-in-Chief.

Courses

• Now: it's summer!
• Both fall and spring: NLP seminar, AI seminar
  
  
• Selected past courses:
  • Natural language processing and social interaction (CS/IS 6742 F17, F15 w/ Cristian Danescu-Niculescu-Mizil)
    
  • Advanced language technologies (CS6740): F19 (TAGs, CCGs, deconstructing datasets, semantic representations), F07 (a generally quite strong set of student-authored lecture guides with problems), S10 (fancy tabbing navigation using javascript, updated references), S02 (no IR), F01 (short course)
    
  • Machine learning and data science w/ Karthik Sridharan (CS5786, S15)
    
  
  
  • Introduction to computing using Python, (CS1110, : SP20 w/ Daisy Fan; SP18 w/ Anne Bracy; SP17 w/ Erik Andersen; SP16 w/ Charlie Van Loan; SP14 w/ Steve Marschner); Introduction to computing using Java (CS1110, F10 w/ David Gries)
  • Computation, information, and intelligence (CS 1700, aka 172, S07)
  • Honors introduction to the theory of computing (CS481, F98, F99, F00)

Requests for letters of evaluation for tenure/promotion

• I decline requests from institutions that do not offer strong confidentiality promises, so as to feel more empowered to be candid in my letters.
• I would strongly prefer that candidates not contact me beforehand regarding my availability to write a letter, and reserve the right not to answer such queries. I understand this can put candidates in an awkward position when they are advised to make such pre-contacts by their institution, and I am sorry for that; I'm providing this public statement as protection for candidates in that case.
  But I would prefer to be able to state, should/as I write such letters, that I was not contacted by the candidate or did not promise the candidate anything, so as to provide more evidence of impartiality.

Contact and availability info

Office hours: - Go to my office-hours youcanbook.me page and read the instructions there carefully. (Yes, while classes are held, I do have regular office hours! But I'm using this appointment system rather than drop-in so that everyone gets individual time. I generally have at least two hours every "regular" week, so if you see little or no available time, that probably means other people booked the timeslots first. Have no fear, the instructions tell you what to do if there aren't available times.)

Actual coordinates: 419 Gates Hall; email address: see the Engineering faculty directory page; phone: 607-255-8119; fax: 607-255-9143.
Mailing address is Cornell University, Department of Computer Science, 419 Gates Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853
Street address is 107 Hoy Road
Administrative assistant: Lacy Lucas, see the CUCS staff page for contact info.

Other stuff

• News flash: female computer-science professor good with computers
• Saw the Scotch tape, forewent the Nobel Prize
• It's Not Easy Being Green; or: You Can Have Both Great Stage Presence and Great Stage Fright, And Your Own Rosemary's Baby, To Boot



• Some highlights regarding Cornell and/or the Cornell computer science department
• Advice other people have told me is useful (I don't necessarily agree with everything said): SUNY Oswego Honors program: How to do really well in college;   CRA site on research opportunities and grad school
  
  
• I'm not from Iowa.
• Nor am I the bread and the knife.
• Or Michiko Kakutani.
• No Pinot Grigio for me, buddy.