This is 邓Dèng, 溪Xī萌Méng (b. 1997), nice to meet you.
I go by Simone [SEE] + [MOHN] personally/verbally, and Ximeng professionally and in written contexts. My pronouns are she/her.
I was born and raised in Beijing, China. I spent my first 24 years within a pretty small community where most of my family and friends still live. I then lived in Syracuse, NY for 3 years and got my dual Master’s degree. I’ve been in DC on and off since 2022. Currently, I am based in the DC/Maryland/Northern Virginia area. I am a first-year PhD student at UMD iSchool. People ask me how I like or prefer Syracuse and Maryland. The only non-mistake answer is they’re like my mom and dad. You’re basically asking if I like my mom more or my dad more.
My research interest is broadly focused on human-computer interaction and cultural heritage. This includes areas like metadata of digital collections in museums and archives, museums & AI, and the digital behavior of both visitors and professionals.
My favorite TV show is the documentary series How To with John Wilson.
I take photos! I take portraits, groups, and events for friends. If you believe we’re friends, that counts.
EDUCATION
2025 — Present/
University of Maryland, College of Information, College Park, MD
PhD Student in Information Studies
2021 — 2024/
Syracuse University, School of Information Studies, Syracuse, NY
M.S. in Applied Data Science
2020 — 2022/
Syracuse University, School of Design, College of Visual & Performing Arts, Syracuse, NY
M.A. in Museum Studies
2015 — 2019/
Tsinghua University, Academy of Arts and Design, Beijing, China
B.A. in Art History
2009 — 2015/
Tsinghua University Middle & High School, Beijing, China
© 2025 Ximeng Deng
微信公众号：叫我Simone啊
CV
goodreads: goodreads.com/xdengg
Please feel free to ask me anything you’re curious about — about me, or about something you think I might have personal experience with or perspective about. If I know the answer, I’ll talk and discuss it with you. If I don’t, I’m more than happy to learn about it, and share what I find. I believe open conversation is one of the most important ways to grow, to understand others, and more importantly, to be reflexive about ourselves.
My Headshot(s)