When I was seven, my hometown, Wuxi, faced a crisis of blue-green algal blooms. This environmental issue sparked my curiosity about the mechanisms behind such crises. However, it wasn’t until I entered Duke Kunshan University (DKU) as an undergraduate, that I discovered environmental science as a field of study. As a liberal arts college, DKUContinue reading “My Journey to Becoming a Wastewater Engineer”
Category Archives: Non-Technical Blogs
The Importance of Continual Development
I work at EPCOR Water Services at the Gold Bar Wastewater Treatment Plant in Edmonton, Alberta. I recently attended the Water Environment Federation’s Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC), hosted in New Orleans. It was an amazing experience, and I encourage young water professionals (YWPs) to take advantage of such opportunities when they present themselves. ProfessionalContinue reading “The Importance of Continual Development”
Navigating the Water Industry: Embracing Change and Discovering Your Passion
As a young professional in the water industry, I often reflect on my journey of professional development. Over the past seven years, I’ve transitioned between five major roles: wastewater consulting, transportation infrastructure consulting, stormwater management consulting, flood risk management with a conservation authority, municipal planning for linear infrastructure, and finally, back to wastewater consulting. IContinue reading “Navigating the Water Industry: Embracing Change and Discovering Your Passion”
There is so much about water
I completed my undergraduate studies in Civil Engineering at the University of Alberta, specializing in environmental engineering, whose curriculum included courses on air quality, water resources, river management, and remediation. Initially, I didn’t have a specific area of interest, but my path gradually steered toward water-related fields. My first co-op placement in drainage unexpectedly hadContinue reading “There is so much about water”
The Journey of Choosing Environmental Engineering as My Major
I was born in Guangzhou, one of the major cities of China. When I was a little kid, my parents were so busy with their work that oftentimes they dropped me off at my grandparents’ village in Guangxi, a beautiful hilly province in the south. There, I made a lot of friends; together we climbedContinue reading “The Journey of Choosing Environmental Engineering as My Major”
How to find your research interests
As a Master student who switched majors, I had a really hard time pinpointing my academic interests and future path. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in environmental science, a subject focusing on understanding the environment and geographical changes. For example, I studied hydrology, ecology, and the most interesting, isotope dating. Indeed, we also hadContinue reading “How to find your research interests “
My study journey starts with a challenge
2022 was an unusual year for me as I started a new journey in a different country. I packed my bags and got ready to go. After a 14-hour flight and traveling halfway around the world, I finally set foot on this foreign land. Everything here was strange and new to me. With the joyContinue reading “My study journey starts with a challenge”
“Interdisciplinary Approaches to Water Research”
Every morning, I take the Edmonton city train across the Kisiskāciwani-sīpiy (North Saskatchewan River), and I thank the river. I thank it for providing me with water to drink, cook, and clean with. I thank it for recreation, for its strength, and for the lessons it teaches me; I think of all the connections overContinue reading ““Interdisciplinary Approaches to Water Research” “
The journey to a passion for a cleaner and sustainable environment
Research has always been my passion. I grew up with parents who were core advocates for education and continuous learning as they believed it was a great compass to navigate the world. At a very early age, I wanted to become many different things: – from a doctor, an accountant, to an engineer. As timeContinue reading “The journey to a passion for a cleaner and sustainable environment”
What does it mean to be a water research focused academic?
My pathway to becoming an Assistant Prof in a research-intensive university in Canada was not straightforward. I was trained in Environmental Engineering at the University of Waterloo (UW), and my only work exposure before my graduate studies was being a co-op student in environmental consulting. I did not even know what research was all aboutContinue reading “What does it mean to be a water research focused academic?”
IWA YWP Canada 