2012: Water Conference Speakers

Honorable Liu Ning, Ph.D.
Vice Minister of Water Resources
The Ministry of Water Resources of the People’s Republic of China

Liu Ning, Ph.D., graduated from Department of Water Resources, Tsinghua University with a bachelor degree, and Department of Hydrology and Water Resources, Wuhan University of Hydraulic and Electric Engineering (now Wuhan University) with a doctorate degree.  Since 2009, he has held the position of Vice Minister of Water Resources; Member of Communist Party Group of Ministry of Water Resources; Secretary-General of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters; Director-general of Office of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters. From 2003 to 2009, he was chief engineer of the Ministry of Water Resources. He has also held the following positions: deputy chief engineer of Ministry of Water Resources and chief engineer of South-North Water Diversion Project Planning and Design; deputy chief engineer, Changjiang Water Resources Commission; General Manager, Yangtze River Bidding Co. Ltd; deputy director of design divison and assistant chief engineer, Changjiang Water Resources Commission, deputy director of design division, Three Gorges project; and deputy director, design division, Qingjiang Project, Design Bureau of Changjiang Water Resources Commission.

Kenza Kaouakib-Robinson
Secretary of UN-Water and Senior Sustainable Development Officer
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs

Kenza Kaouakib-Robinson was appointed Secretary of UN-Water in March 2011. UN-Water represents a strong functioning coordination mechanism that brings coherence among United Nations entities dealing with issues related to all aspects of freshwater and sanitation, including surface and groundwater resources, the interface between freshwater and seawater and water-related disasters. Today, with the recent addition of UN-Women and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OCHCR), it brings together 30 UN entities and 28 non-UN partners who are key stakeholders in the international community in the area of water resources development. She has managed national and regional water resources projects, notably in Africa and the Middle East, and served as chair of the Gender and Water Task Force of the UN Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality. In 2008, she was designated the UN Focal point for the International Year of Sanitation. She holds a master's degree and the Diplôme D'études Approfondies (DEA, 3ème cycle) in land management from the Université d'Aix-Marseilles II. She is fluent in Arabic, English, French, and Spanish.

Yuan Xikun Standing Member, Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC)
Goodwill Ambassador, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

Yuan Xikun is also the Member of the Standing Committee of the All-China Youth Federation. He holds the following positions: the Curator of Beijing Jin Tai Art Museum, Honorary Chairman of China Association of Collectors, Researcher of the Graduate School of the Chinese Arts Research Institute, and Honorary Member of the Russian Academy of Arts. He is also the UNEP Patron for the Arts and Environment. Yuan was invited to draw ink-and-wash portraits for 152 foreign dignitaries, which were acknowledged and signed by these foreign dignitaries. His sculptures were always presented as national gifts to heads of states by the Chinese state leader. His environmental-themed artwork, "Urgency in the Polar Region" and "Patron Saint of Forest – Tiger" were selected as Champion of the Earth award trophies by the United Nations Environment Programme in 2009 and 2010, respectively. Yuan is also actively supports the Ozone Action that advocated by UNEP. Using the artistic approach, he created the sculpture "Sky-patching - Goddess Nuwa" to increase people’s awareness on environmental protection and consumer behaviors. As the practitioner of water conservation, Yuan served as a go-between to obtain a loan from the World Bank for water pollution control and treatment in Dianchi Lake, Yunnan province. In the early 2000s, the Yunnan and Guizhou government authorities adopted Yuan’s suggestion and proposal on water pollution control in Fuxian Lake and Yeland Lake. Through Yuan’s effort, the government introduced a series of regulations on water. Beyond this, Yuan launched the water education campaign "Champion of Water Alliance" in partnership with the China Environmental Protection Foundation (affiliated with Ministry of Environment Protection), which aims to improve water environments while promoting advanced water-saving solutions through diverse, experiential activities. This initiative is also supported by UNEP and other international agencies and leading groups.

Abdallah I. Husein Malkawi, Ph.D.
President; Professor of Geotechnical and Dam Engineering
Jordan University of Science and Technology

Abdallah I. Husein Malkawi, Ph.D. received his doctorate in geotechnical engineering from the University of Akron, Ohio, and post-doctorate degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University. Dr. Malkawi has held many important administrative positions. Prior positions include vice president of the German Jordanian University, vice president of Jordan University of Science and Technology, dean of scientific research at Jordan University of Science and Technology. Currently, he is a member of the advisory board of the North African and Mediterranean Center (CANMRE), University of Tsukuba, Japan; editor-in-chief of the International Jordan Journal of Civil Engineering, and member of the editorial board of the Geotechnical Testing Journal (ASTM), USA.

In addition, Dr. Malkawi serves as a consultant to many national and international agencies, including the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC), SaudiConsult, Saudi Arabia on the DAMAD dam; Andriolo Ito Engenharia Ltda. Sao Carlos – SP – BRASIL, Government of Costa Rica, on the Pirris Dam, 2004-2007; and Metolong RCC Dam, South Africa, Lesotho and to the World Bank for the Red Sea Dead Sea Canal. Furthermore, he is an active member on several committees at the national level including the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, head of the National Dams Committee in Jordan, and the Royal Committee for Water Management. He is the founder and owner of A3DL International Engineering Consultant.

Zhang Tianzhu, Ph.D.
Professor and Head of the Institute of Agricultural Planning Sciences
China Agricultural University (CAU)

Zhang Tianzhu, Ph.D. was appointed as a vice-chairman of China Agricultural Technology Park Society of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences?CAAS?and a specialist of the Science and Technology Commissions of Tongzhou District and Haidian District.

Dr. Zhang received his bachelor and master's degree in engineering from Beijing University of Agricultural Engineering. Majoring in agricultural bio-environmental engineering, he obtained his doctorate in engineering from China Agricultural University. After that, he served in the environmental protection and energy department of the Ministry of Agriculture of China from 1995 to 1996 and has been working for China Agricultural University since 1992.

Dr. Zhang has been concentrating on researching urban and regional agricultural planning and agricultural facilities and set up the integrated platform for developing and promoting advanced agricultural technologies. He has taken charge and participated in more than 140 planning projects of agricultural parks and areas.

Chunmiao Zheng, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair, Water Resources; Director of the Center for Water Research
Peking University

Prior to his current role, Chunmiao Zheng was the George Lindahl III Endowed Professor of Hydrogeology in the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Alabama. The primary areas of his research are contaminant transport, groundwater management, and hydrologic modeling, in which he has published more than 120 technical papers. Zheng is developer of the MT3DMS series of contaminant transport models used in more than 100 countries, and he is the author of the textbook Applied Contaminant Transport Modeling, published by Wiley in 1995 and 2002. Zheng was the recipient of the 1998 John Hem Excellence in Science and Engineering Award from the National Ground Water Association and is a fellow of the Geological Society of America. In 2009, he received the Birdsall-Dreiss Distinguished Lecturer award from the Geological Society of America that took him to 70 universities and research institutions worldwide. Currently, Zheng is a member of the U.S. National Research Council’s Committee on Hydrologic Sciences and president of the International Commission on Groundwater of the International Association of Hydrologic Sciences.  Zheng received a Ph.D. in hydrogeology with a minor in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Paul Anid, Ph.D.
Vice President, Water Quality Management Services
HDR Inc.

In the last 28 years, Paul Anid has managed both U.S-based and World Bank-funded projects in environmental engineering and management, including modeling the fate and transport of point and non-point source pollutants in natural water systems, the assessment of water quality criteria, the application of conventional and emerging approaches for assessing contaminated sediments, and the development of "expert systems" and environmental decision support models. His work extended from the New York-New Jersey area to Africa (Lake Victoria), South America, Central America, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe.

Prior to joining the consulting world in 1994, Dr. Anid held the position of Environment Officer at the United Nations. This was following a visiting professor position at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where he conducted research programs and authored technical papers on pollution abatement of toxics in surface and subsurface waters and sediments focusing mainly on the bioremediation of chlorinated xenobiotic compounds.

More recently, Dr. Anid has pioneered the development and implementation of near-shore and off-shore forecasting systems linked to marine real-time environmental monitoring data acquisition buoys in the waters of the Arabian Gulf serving the public, local governments, developers, the gas and oil industry, and utilities. Dr. Anid is a recipient of a Fulbright award and holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in agriculture and environmental engineering from McGill University, Canada, Institute Pasteur, Paris, and from FSA of Gembloux in Belgium.

Lin Erda, Ph.D.
Professor, Chief Scientist & Former-Director General
Agro-Environment and Sustainable Development Institute
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS)

Lin Erda is a member of standing committee of 11th National Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and a member of its Sub-Committee for Population, Resources and Environment; a member of the National Expert Committee for Climate Change. Lin has served as deputy director and director-general of the Institute for 15 years. He is also a member of the standing committee of the China Economic and Social Council, a Member of the executive board of All-China Environment Federation. Lin holds degrees in applied meteorology. His current research focus is on climate change impacts, vulnerability, and GHG emission mitigation, especially for agriculture. He is a lead author of national reports on climate change impact and adaptation, IPCC 1-5 assessment reports, national policy reports; eight scientific books; and 82 journal publications.

Zhang Weidong, Ph.D.
Programme Manager, Energy and Environment Team
United Nations Development Programme in China

In his current role, Zhang Weidong, Ph.D. has been in charge of developing and implementing projects related to natural resources management and Climate Change. In actively promoting UNDP public-private partnerships, he is leading a flagship programme in partnership with Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Commerce, and Coca-Cola Greater China in addressing water related issues in China, including climate change adaptation; ecosystem management; drinking water safety in rural regions; use of recycled water from urban sewage; sustainable agriculture through improving irrigation efficiency; and reduction of non-point source pollution from agriculture.

Before joining UNDP, he served as project manager with the State Forestry Administration in managing a four-year project, ADB/GEF Combating Land Degradation in China, and as national project director of an FAO-funded 13-year forestry project for combating land degradation. He also worked for one year with WWF’s China Office as forest coordinator for biodiversity conservation.

Junguo Liu, Ph.D.
Professor of Hydrology and Water Resources
Beijing Forestry University

In addition to his position at Beijing Forestry University, Liu Junguo is a visiting scholar at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Austria, and an editor of the international journal Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (HESS). His main research interests include hydrology and water resources, ecosystem service and management, wetland research, water-food relations, and the impacts of climate change on ecosystem systems. He is author of more than 20 peer-reviewed papers with a few published in the world's leading journals. He has been involved as a consultant for many international and governmental organizations and NGOs, including UNEP, WWF, IUCN, and Thirst. He is a recipient of a string of prizes including the Outstanding Young Scientists Awards of European Geosciences Union and the 2011 ProSPER.Net-Scopus Young Scientist Award in Sustainable Development.

Dr. Liu has a multinational educational background. He obtained his Ph.D. from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH) in Switzerland, an M.S. degree from UNESCO-IHE in the Netherlands, and a B.S. degree from the North China Institute of Water Conservation and Hydro-electronic Power. He also has multinational working and teaching experience in China, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, United States, Germany and Egypt.

Jasmine Tian
Director of Sustainability
Coca-Cola Greater China

Jasmine Tian graduated from Beijing Economic University and then joined the China global public relations agency of Xinhua News Agency, with the responsibility of setting up PR strategies for multinational companies such as: Coca-Cola, Marlboro, and DuPont. She then joined Hutchison Whampoa Limited (HWL) and took charge of corporate reputation and marketing communications. In 2001, she joined Coca-Cola Greater China as public affairs coordinator and sustainability director, responsible for media relations, marketing communications, crisis management and setting up community/environmental strategies. During her years working at Coca-Cola, she has led many community and environmental programs, including the construction of more than 100 Project Hope Schools and establishing environmental and water strategic partnerships with the United Nations Development Programme and the World Wildlife Fund.

Xiaoliang Meng, Ph.D.
International School of Software, Wuhan University

Xiaoliang Meng received his Ph.D. in photogrammetry and remote sensing from Wuhan University. From 2008 to 2009, he was a visiting scholar at the Institute for Geospatial Research and Education (IGRE), Eastern Michigan University. From 2010 to the present, he is doing his post-doctoral research on a NASA-funded Investigating Climate Change and Remote Sensing (ICCaRS) project, also in the IGRE. He is the director of the Joint International Center for Resources, Environment Management and Digital Technology (JIC-REDT) at the International School of Software of Wuhan University. His main research interests include spatial statistics, distributed, web-based geo-information services and applications, especially in the environmental management area.

He won the Best Papers by Young Authors award conferred by the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing in 2012.

Lingzhen Dong, Ph.D.
Director, Environment, Health, Safety and Sustainability, Asia Pacific
The Dow Chemical Company

Lingzhen Dong, Ph.D., is responsible for the execution of the Dow Chemical Company's EHS sub-function strategy on a regional basis as well as the development and maintenance of local work processes, tools, work force and budget to support business growth in the region. Her areas of responsibilities include product and operations regulatory services and compliance, product safety, health services, and sustainability, etc. She is a member of the Asia Pacific manufacturing leadership committee. She has been in her current role since Dow acquired Rohm and Haas (ROH) in 2009.

Dr. Dong started her career as a senior scientist in ROH in the United States in 1991 and held various positions with increased responsibilities in R&D, toxicology/ecotoxicology research, Asia Pacific regulatory affairs, China R&D Center site construction and operations management, and China country management, etc. Prior to joining Dow, she was the Asia Pacific EHS and Sustainable Development Director at ROH.

She received a B.S. degree in chemistry from Fudan University (China) and a M.S. and a Ph.D. degree in chemistry from University of Rochester (U.S.). She is a member of the Association of International Chemical Manufacturers' (AICM) Responsible Care and Regulatory Affairs Committee in China, and a member of Amcham-Shanghai.

Sayko Law, M.B.A.
CEO
Weide Biological Engineering Co. Ltd.

Sayko Law obtained his bachelor degree in chemical engineering and master of business administration at the University of Hong Kong and University of Leicester, respectively. During his more than 20 years of experience in the surface finishing and wastewater treatment industry, he has obtained an in-depth understanding of wastewater characteristics and has worked at major multinational companies, including Elec & Eltek Co. Ltd., Rohm & Haas Company, Henkel Asia Pacific Co. Ltd.; and Atotech Asia Pacific Co. Ltd. He currently works at Weide Biological Engineering Co. Ltd., a specialist in the electroplating industry? They also supply a new saving water nano-meter chromium replacement electroplating process and the corresponding wastewater treatment technology. Their philosophy is “Saving the Earth!”

Xia Xinghui, Ph.D.
Professor
State Key Laboratory, Water Environmental Simulation/School of Environment, Beijing Normal University

Professor Xia’s research fields include water environment/water resources, surface water quality evolution related to global environmental change, and aquatic environmental chemistry. She is the executive director of the Water Society for Environmental of China and an editorial board member of multiple international journals. More than 120 of her peer-reviewed research papers have been published. She has been the recipient of many awards for excellence including the honor of Young Scientist by Chinese Society of Environmental Science, the Scientific Progress Award (Second Class Award) by the State Council of the People's Republic of China, the Scientific Progress Award (First Class Award) by the Ministry of Education of China, and Beijing Science and Technology Award (First Class Award) by the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality.

Denghua YAN, Ph.D.
Professor
Senior Engineer, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower (IWHR)

Denghua YAN, Ph.D. obtained his doctorate from IWHR (China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research). Currently, he is the section leader of the Climate Change and Water Resources Section of the Water Resources Department of IWHR, and the director of the Innovation Method Society and China Society of Natural Resources. He is a visiting researcher at the Research Center for Climate Change of the Ministry of Water Resources. He is a visiting professor at Colorado State University (CSU). In 2010, he was one author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) AW5. In 2011, he was appointed as the expert for the supervision and evaluation of water body pollution control and treatment in China for the year 2011 by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and the State Development and Reform Commission (SDRC). Dr. Yan has been engaged in research on simulation and regulation of eco-hydrology, integrated water resources management (IWRM), integrated management of water environment, and 3S (RS, GPS and GIS) for many years. As the work team leader and member of the expert team, he participated in and completed National Basic Research Programs of China (973 Programs), National Key/Supporting Scientific and Technological Programs, NSFC Programs, and 70 larger projects. He hosts the State Key Development Program for Basic Research of China, the National Twelve Five-Year-Period Key Scientific and Technological Project, and the Innovation Method for Basic Research Project funded by China Ministry of Science and Technology.

Supported by the above-mentioned projects and in the light of the practical requirements of water resources management, water environment management, and ecological protection in China and the latest progress of relevant technologies domestically and abroad, Dr. Yan systematically constructed a theoretical and technological system of coupling simulation and regulation on climate-hydrology-ecology. All the aforesaid theories and technologies have been widely applied in departments related to water resources, environmental protection, and meteorology. At present, in the light of China’s overall strategy for energy conservation and emission reduction and comprehensive response to extreme events caused by climate change, he is conducting theoretical and technological research on water resources allocation rational for the low-carbon development mode, comprehensive response to drought that is based on risk management, and joint regulation of water resource projects orienting extreme processes.

To date, he has published more than 200 academic papers, including 50 SCI/EI, and 8 monographs. He has won the national second prize for scientific and technological advancement; and the first Dayu prize for scientific and technological advancement in water conservancy. He has also received several national and provincial honorary titles including: China Youth Science and Technology Award, China Outstanding Scientific and Technological Workers, Youth Science and Technology Talents in National Water Conservancy, China Youth Post Expert and MWR Top Ten Youth.

Flemming Fogh Pedersen, M.B.A., M.Sc.
Head of Water and Environment Department, ALECTIA, Denmark

Flemming Fogh Pedersen has been involved in groundwater survey and management projects for more than 20 years. He holds a M. Sc. with a specialty in applied geophysics. Pedersen manages a staff of 30 in a water and environment department in ALECTIA, a Danish consulting engineering company with 700 employees. ALECTIA works within construction engineering, processes in food and beverage industry, leadership, health and safety, and water and environment.

In Denmark, the water supply is entirely based on groundwater, and comprehensive groundwater legislation has created the basis of intensive research and an industry of consulting companies working with groundwater. Projects involve large-scale geophysical mapping, drilling, geological and hydrological modeling, groundwater chemistry, and groundwater protection plans.

Apart from working on these projects in Denmark, Pedersen has applied the same methodologies on projects in Vietnam, the Philippines, and Germany.

Xin’an Yin, Ph.D.
Professor
School of Environment, Beijing Normal University

Xin’an Yin, Ph.D., received his bachelor, master’s, and Ph.D. degrees from Beijing Normal University. He was a visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Westminster (U.K.). His research interests include: sustainable water resources management and eco-friendly reservoir operation.

Edward Guiliano, Ph.D.
President
New York Institute of Technology

Edward Guiliano has led New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) to worldwide prestige, particularly in the fields of architecture, medicine, communications, engineering, business, and educational technology.

An eloquent spokesman and advocate for the environment and sustainability, global higher education, and educational technology, Dr. Guiliano is a frequent keynote speaker at conferences around the globe. Since he became the university's president in 2000, New York Tech has significantly increased the size and quality of its diverse student body of more than 14,000 students from 44 U.S. states and 109 nations this year; added more than 300 distinguished faculty members; and opened campuses and sites in North America, the Middle East, Asia, and online to complement New York Tech's hub campuses in New York City and Long Island, New York.

During this time, New York Tech has undergone a major renovation of campus facilities while branding itself to raise its national and international profile. The administration also created a bold 2030 strategic plan to position New York Tech as a model for a 21st-century global university. New York Tech has been consistently ranked as one of America's best colleges by leading publications and, in 2011, New York Tech was again named a “Great College to Work For” by The Chronicle of Higher Education. In March 2012, in recognition of Dr. Guiliano’s commitment, scholarship, philanthropy, and transformational long-standing leadership, New York Tech named its flagship New York City campus building on Broadway the Edward Guiliano Global Center.

Dr. Guiliano holds a bachelor's degree from Brown University and a doctorate from Stony Brook University. In 2001, he received the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor for his personal accomplishments, social compassion, and outstanding contributions to American society. He is married to best-selling author Mireille Guiliano.

Nada Marie Anid, Ph.D.
Dean
School of Engineering and Computing Sciences

Nada Anid is the first female dean of New York Tech's School of Engineering and Computing Sciences (SoECS). In this role, she oversees 77 engineering and computing sciences faculty members and approximately 1,700 graduate and undergraduate students at campuses located in Manhattan and Old Westbury, N.Y., the Middle East, and China.

Dr. Anid embraces New York Tech’s forward-thinking and applications-oriented mission and is working on several strategic partnerships between the School of Engineering and the public and private sector, including the creation of the School’s first Entrepreneurship and Technology Innovation Center (ETIC) and its three labs in the critical areas of IT & Cyber Security, Bio-engineering and Health, and Energy and Green Technologies. She has been named one of the top 50 women in business on Long Island by Long Island Business News both in 2010 and 2012. Dr. Anid also received the 2010 Long Island Software and Technology Network (LISTnet) Diamond Award in recognition of her significant contributions toward the advancement of women in technology on Long Island as well as for her professional achievements in the technology field. 

Dr. Anid is a board member of several organizations including the Greater Long Island Clean Cities Coalition (GLICC), LISTnet, the Institute for Sustainability (IfS) of the American Institute for Chemical Engineers (AIChE), the Riverdale Conservancy, and the Environment and Public Health Network of Chinese Students and Scholars (ENCSS). Dr. Anid is a Program Evaluator for the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET), and holds leadership positions in AIChE, the New York Academy of Sciences, the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), the US Deans Engineering Council and its Public Policy Committee, among others.  She is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Environmental Progress and Sustainable Energy and a technical reviewer for the federal government and many journals including the AIChE Journal and the Energy and Fuels Journal.

Dr. Anid earned her Ph.D. in environmental engineering from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor), and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH-Stockholm). She is among the first engineers to study the role of vitamin B12 and other organometallic coenzymes in the dechlorination of important toxic molecules such as carbon tetrachloride and polychlorinated biphenyls. Prior to joining New York Tech, she was chair and graduate program director of the Chemical Engineering Department at Manhattan College.

Sarah J. Meyland, J.D.
Associate Professor, Environmental Technology
School of Engineering and Computing Sciences

Sarah J. Meyland is a water specialist with a background in groundwater protection, water resources management, and environmental law. Presently,Meyland teaches in the Masters of Science Program at New York Institute of Technology. Additionally, she serves as the Director for the New York Tech Center for Water Resources Management and has a dual appointment with the Center for Global Health.

Meyland has worked in New York State government as co-executive director of the New York State Legislative Commission on Water Resource Needs of Long Island, as the Watershed director for the Suffolk County Water Authority and as program coordinator for the Nassau County Planning Federation.

Meyland serves on a variety of advisory committees and is the author of numerous publications and articles on water-related topics. She has developed a number of environmental laws in New York State and at the federal level.

Meyland has a law degree from St. John's University School of Law; an M.S. in water resources management from Texas A&M University; a B.S. in geological oceanography, a B.A. in marine biology from Humboldt State University; and a B.A. in English from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro.

Xiaohui Cui, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Computer Science
School of Engineering and Computing Sciences

In addition to his position at New York Tech, Xiaohui Cui, Ph.D. is the staff scientist of Oak Ridge National Laboratory Department of Energy. His research interests include swarm intelligence, GPU computing, agent based modeling and simulation, cyber security, GIS and transportation, emergent behavior, complex systems, high-performance computing, social computing, and information retrieval. His research programs have been supported by the U.S. Office of Navy Research, Department of Homeland Security, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, and Department of Energy as well as Lockheed Martin Company. The work done by Xiaohui and his research team has been reported by MSNBC, New Scientist, and others. In 2008 and 2009, he received the Department of Energy Outstanding Mentor Award and the Significant Event Award, respectively.