Faculty Snapshot: Tian Zheng

Text Tian Zheng Professor and Department Chair, Department of statistics, with three photos of Tian, one where she is writing on a glass board and two headshots


Tell us about your work.
I enjoy developing methods for exploring and understanding patterns in complex data from different application domains. I am currently part of a new NSF-funded center, Learning the Earth with AI and Physics (LEAP) and @leapSTC, where I apply my statistical expertise to model climate systems. I am also passionate about developing experiential learning based on ongoing research.

Tell us about a book that you would recommend.
"Maybe You Should Talk To Someone: A Therapist, HER Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed" by Lori Gottlieb. In this book, the author, a psychotherapist, wrote about her work and growth along with four of her patients. It also has a second storyline of her own journey to regain the balance of her life after a traumatic breakup. This book is both hilarious and insightful.

What advice would you have for a potential mentee about how to succeed in academia?
Find an organizational system that works for you. In academia, getting overwhelmed by the overflow of emails, ideas, notes, papers, and deadlines happens often. Setting up a sound system helps you stay productive and focused. It protects the most important pieces of your creativity and your best ideas from getting lost.

To learn more about Dr. Zheng's work, please visit her faculty website or follow her on Twitter.

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Faculty Snapshots are a project of the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement.