Hi there! I'm Ben, a CS MS student at Stanford University advised by Prof. Jerry Cain. I also did my undergrad at Stanford (2020-2024), completing a BS double major in CS and Math, and a Minor in Creative Writing. The winter of my senior year, I studied abroad at the University of Oxford, with a Tutorial in Creative Writing. In my free time, I enjoy manga and anime, and listening to soundtracks, K-pop, and J-rock music 🎸.

My name in Chinese is 颜斌 (Mandarin: Yán Bīn). The last name 颜 is a Western Zhou dynasty relic meaning color or face; my first name 斌 collates the Chinese radicals for writing (文) and martial (武), with the combined meaning of literary talent—lol, ironic.

Teaching 🧑‍🏫

I love teaching, and want to help make CS education accessible and welcoming for everyone! At Stanford, I have the privilege of TAing in the CS198 section leading program and teaching introductory programming (Python, JavaScript, C, Assembly languages), web applications, computer systems, and coding for social good.

This school year (🌱 spring quarter TBD), I'm excited to be teaching:

Last school year, I've had the great pleasure of teaching:

My last iteration of CS 106S (1-unit companion course to CS106B on social good applications, e.g., climate, health, trust & safety, cybersecurity) in Spring 2025 had a record 40 students and was super fun as always — and from course evaluations was somehow the highest-rated course in the entire CS department! I'm endlessly grateful and indebted to all my students, and they've taught me so much.

As an undergrad, I was also a Math Department SUMO peer tutor for two years, holding weekly, deadline-night office hours for MATH 18, 19, 20, 20, and 51 simultaneously.

Education 🏫

Personal 🎨

Favorite Manga, Anime, Adaptations 📚

My all-time favorite anime and manga is Jujutsu Kaisen / 呪術廻戦, though Bocchi the Rock! / ぼっちざろっく! is a close second, with the spectacular Chainsaw Man / チェンソーマン at third. I've never seen a movie I liked more than Weathering with You / 天気の子 (2019) or Spirited Away / 千と千尋の神隠し (2001). I also like:

Miscellaneous Facts 🎲

• My favorite food dish is 牛肉面 (beef noodle soup), drink is 🍵 matcha latte.
• My most-listened-to music artists include 🎶 YOASOBI/Ayase/Lilas, Kenshi Yonezu, Blackpink, Charli XCX, Radwimps, Tate McRae, BABYMONSTER, IVE, LiSA, ITZY, BTS, and Olivia Rodrigo. Always looking for album or song recommendations!
• I also really enjoy the soundtrack compositions of Sawano Hiroyuki (Attack on Titan), Kessoku Band (Bocchi the Rock), Yoshimasa Terui (Jujutsu Kaisen), and Ramin Djawadi (Game of Thrones). I'm a growing fan of Japanese math rock 🎸.
• I'm bilingual in English & Mandarin Chinese 中文, have been learning Japanese 日本語 for about a year and a half, and just started learning Korean 한국어!