What is your position at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln?
Assistant professor of advanced sensing systems in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering.
What drew you to the University of Nebraska—Lincoln?
The flagship status of basic and applied agricultural science in research and education. Particularly in my areas of interest (such as agricultural remote sensing and precision agriculture), UNL has long history of excellence nationwide.
What aspect of working in an educational setting do you enjoy the most?
Multidisciplinary collaboration. In my research, I have interacted and worked with scientists from different disciplines. I get the chance to know about their research and the important things they are doing. This really broadens my horizon and expands my understanding. I have found these multidisciplinary interactions often inspiring and rewarding.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Keeping my graduate students interested and motivated in the research they are doing. Several of them want to pursue an academic career and become a professor/educator. I wish all my graduate students would stay in academia. I have not driven many of them away from that path yet, and this is a notable achievement.
What is something that most people don't know about you?
Most people know I am a sensing and instrumentation guy. I also have passion in applied soil science. My two years of postdoc were in a soil science department where I was trained by a world-class soil scientist. I am very eager to be able to practice my soil science knowledge in one way or another.
What is your life like outside of work?
My wife and I came from an area in China with mild winters. After spending nine years in College Station, TX, we moved to Lincoln at the beginning of 2014. We are still adapting to Lincoln’s winter, but are really enjoying the other three seasons. Outside of work, we like to participate in children’s events around Lincoln with our two kids when the weather is right. We go to places like city libraries, the Lincoln Children’s Zoo and museum, and LEGO shows frequently. We are also a big fan of the zoo in Omaha.