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Profile: Dr. Zoe Li

April 13, 2021

Dr. Zoe Li MASc’12, PhD’16, a graduate of the University of Regina, is an Assistant Professor and researcher on environmental risk analysis and management. Li has spent over a decade studying uncertainty analysis, stochastic modelling, climate change impacts and environmental systems analysis. By leveraging advanced machine-learning and probabilistic techniques, Li applies novel uncertainty quantification methods to hydro-environmental modelling and develops robust tools to support environmental risk analysis and management.

 

Zoe began her graduate studies at the University of Regina in 2009. A student of Dr. Gordon Huang, Executive Director of the Institute for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Communities and Professor in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, her master’s research looked at inexact optimization modelling for water quality management. Then in 2012, Zoe began her doctoral research on stochastic modelling and risk management for water resources systems under changing climatic conditions. In recognition of her academic performance, Zoe was awarded the University of Regina President’s Distinguished Graduate Student Award at the 2016 fall convocation ceremony.

 

After graduation, Zoe started her academic career in the Department of Civil Engineering at McMaster University as an Assistant Professor. She is also an Associate Member in the Department of Computing and Software. She teaches courses in water and environmental engineering. Dr. Li’s research goals are focused on modelling and decision support tools to meet and overcome the challenges that environmental managers face due to the various impacts, uncertainties, and complexities from climate change. During COVID times, Zoe has risen to the challenge by collaborating with a colleague to create a network simulation tool that helps cities, businesses and other organizations to identify risks and make decisions about reopening plans in a pandemic.

 

Dr. Li is grateful for the opportunity to participate in many environmental systems engineering projects as a graduate student. This invaluable experience helped her to explore and focus her research interests, which ultimately led her to pursue a career in academia. To this day Li recalls an important lesson from those projects which is “Do not be afraid to ask questions. Questions often facilitate discussion, which is very helpful for research.” In turn, Li helps to answer others’ questions by providing vital information and decision making support tools on environment and climate change.

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