About the author:
Bob Crossen is the senior managing editor for Water & Wastes Digest. Crossen can be reached at [email protected].
Compiled by Bob Crossen
undefinedName: Lu Xing
Age: 27
Education: Ph.D., two masters (Ocean Engineering and Statistics)
Company: Xylem Inc.
Title: Data Scientist - Decision Intelligence
What is your greatest personal accomplishment to date?
Having a my daughter during my Ph.D. while continuing high-quality research and obtaining multiple master's degrees.
List some of your professional accomplishments.
- Developing the first open source for transient simulation in water network (TSNet)
- Completed two masters (one in Ocean Engineering and the other one in statistics) and a Ph.D. in five years
- Joining Xylem as a data scientist working in the water sector
What has been your most memorable project?
Graph neural network for data assimilation in drinking water networks.
What did you do before entering the water industry?
I did my masters in ocean engineering, specialized in propeller design and analysis. Then, changed my research topic to water distribution system after taking a course on the last semester of my master.
What was the biggest lesson you learned when you entered the water industry?
Multi-discipline skills and team-working are extremely important to solve large scale and complex water problems.
How do you expect your generation will influence the water industry?
Our generation will push the advancement of digitalization in water industry.
What are your aspirations for your water industry career?
My career goal is to promote intelligent urban water systems and its better coordination with interdependent systems and human-beings such that utilities can provide safer and more reliable drinking water to urban communities.
In what extracurricular work activities would you like to be (or are) involved in?
ASCE Woman-Water Nexus, EWRI Water Distribution System Analysis (WDSA) committee.
What are your hobbies?
Hiking, reading, cooking, and Pilates.
What is your hidden talent?
Mentor for Xylem Innovation Challenge.
What are your passions?
Family, water, and nature.
Describe a memorable moment with family or friends.
Giving birth during the pandemic two weeks after defending my PhD dissertation.
Who has been your greatest personal (or professional) influence and why?
My parents who support my decision and are always there for me no matter what, and Dr. Lina Sela, my Ph.D. advisor, who had a great impact on my career decisions.