About me

I am a postdoctoral researcher at the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin, where I work with Prof. Ufuk Topcu.

I received my PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2026, where I was advised by Prof. Cédric Langbort and was a research assistant in the Coordinated Science Laboratory. During my PhD, I was a visiting doctoral researcher at EPFL, hosted by Prof. Maryam Kamgarpour, as an NCCR Automation Fellow. Prior to my time at UIUC, I completed my undergraduate education in Aerospace Engineering at IIT Bombay.

Email: vijeth.hebbar@utexas.edu

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Research Overview

My research studies how information shapes decision making in strategic environments and draws on tools from game theory, online learning, and control theory. Broadly, my doctoral research had two distinct but related thrusts:

  1. Applications of information design: I model naturally occurring strategic communication scenarios in domains like electricity markets, human-robot interaction and media coverage, through the lens of information design. While showcasing the versatility of information design techniques, these applications also highlight the challenges associated with their practical implementation.
  2. Learning in information design setups: Classical information design methods assume that the sender knows the receiver’s utility structure. In the second thrust of my doctoral research, I develop learning-based strategies that allow a sender to infer receiver responses from interaction data. In doing so, I address various practical challenges associated with learning in information design setups e.g. credibility concerns about the sender, presence of side-information, biases in how receivers interpret shared information and more.
Recent News
Publications
[P] = Preprint, [C] = Conference Proceeding, [J] = Journal.
Teaching
  • AE 352: Dynamical Systems
    Teaching Assistant, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
    Spring 2022, Spring 2021
  • AE 352: Dynamical Systems
    Student Instructor, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
    Fall 2023
  • AE 442: Design of Space Launch Vehicles
    Teaching Assistant, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
    Spring 2026