She received BS and MS from Tianjin University in China, Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a postdoctoral training at Yale University, all in environmental engineering. Prior to joining UC Berkeley, she held faculty positions at the University of Maryland College Park and The George Washington University in DC. Currently, she directs the research and educational activities of the Membrane Innovation Lab, studying physicochemical processes with emphases on advanced membrane processes and nanotechnology to address some of the most challenging issues in sustainable water supply (desalination, drinking water purification, wastewater reuse), renewable energy production, and public health protection.