I am originally from Heilongjiang, China. My family moved to Suzhou when I was 16. I have been always facinated by the applications of artificial intelligence and the techniques behind it, ever since my high school days. This preoccupation led me to major in Control Science and Engineering at Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), which is renowned for its Robotics and Aerospace programs. I went on to receive my BS and MS degrees in this field at HIT in 2006 and 2008, respectively.

To further my understanding of control science, I came to the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, to earn my PhD degree. I was first awarded my MS degree in 2010, where I was advised by Professor Yiyuan Zhao. During my MS studies at the U of M, I focused primarily on trajectory optimization for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight subject to various constraints introduced by UAV performance capabilities and wind effects.

Following my MS thesis defense, Professor Zhao informed me that he would be retiring due to health concerns. After careful assessment over another year, I decided to quit from the Aerospace PhD program and transition my studies toward Industrial Engineering, which had previously captivate my interest due to the wide-ranging applicability and necessity of advanced mathematical methods in solving real-world problems. I obtained my third MS degree in Industrial & Systems Engineering at the U of M under the supervision of Professor Zizhuo Wang.

I subsequently applied and was accepted to the PhD program in the Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering at the University of Washington, Seattle, where I had a wonderful learning experience for five years. My advisor is Professor Ashis G. Banerjee, who walked me into the exciting field of topological data analysis and directed me to complete my doctoral work.

It has been a long journey of perseverance filled with frustration and joy. Now I am happy to end it and ready to start a new chapter in my life. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my husband and our two cats, Ira and Esther. Thank you so much for reading.