My name is Chulhee (I go by Charlie), and I am an Associate Professor at KAIST Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI (KAIST AI). I also hold a joint affiliation with KAIST Graduate School of AI for Math.

I direct the Optimization & Machine Learning (OptiML) Laboratory at KAIST AI. We study the theoretical principles underlying optimization and deep learning, aiming to bridge the gap between mathematical theory and the practical behavior of modern neural network training. Our work also focuses on developing principled methods and algorithms for modern machine learning.

I received my PhD from the Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where I was fortunate to study under the joint supervision of Prof. Suvrit Sra and Prof. Ali Jadbabaie. Before MIT, I was a master’s student in Electrical Engineering at Stanford University, where I worked with Prof. John Duchi. I finished my undergraduate program in Electrical Engineering at KAIST.

For prospective students: I look for self-motivated graduate students with strong math and computer science backgrounds. If you are an undergraduate student interested in joining our lab, consider applying for summer/winter KAIST AI Research Internship (KAIRI) programs.

Note for 2027 applicants: I will be on sabbatical at UC Berkeley from January to November 2027. The lab will continue operating during this period, although I may take on fewer new students and interns than usual. Applications are still welcome.

Email: {firstname}.{lastname}@kaist.ac.kr
Phone: +82-2-958-0765
Office: KAIST Seoul Campus Building #9, 9401