Systems, Man & Cybernetics - October 2015 - 27

SMCM: Share with us the most rewarding aspect of being an AE.
Zhu: As an AE, I take great pride (if
not pleasure) in recommending highquality papers for publication. I am
also proud to seek active researchers
from around the world as reviewers.
It is exciting when preferred researchers agree to participate in the review
process. To be an AE, it is possible
for me to incorporate my vision and
experience on research and SMC development into the review process of
submissions. An additional reward
stems from the possible impacts that
may occur through publication of a
recommended article.
SMCM: What do you consider to be
the most challenging aspects of your
work as an AE?
Zhu: Finding suitable reviewers is
a great challenge, as you are dealing
with busy and frequently overloaded
reviewers. Contact with many people
is required to arrive at an appropriate number of knowledgeable reviewers. To meet this challenge, I am now
working to establish a reviewers list
that is related to my research areas.
SMCM: What are your proudest
achievements as an AE?
Zhu: I am most proud of being involved in a process that brings highquality research results to an interdisciplinary engineering community
through a publication such as IEEE
Systems, Man, & Cybernetics Magazine. It is very important to investigate
the interactions among human beings,
systems, and cybernetics. Such an
experience has helped to extend my
knowledge and vision.
SMCM: Tell us about your social life.
Zhu: I am married, and we have
one son. My wife, Jing Zhang, is a
teacher. My son, Yu Zhu, is a student
at the University of Waterloo, Canada; he is focusing on mathematics
specialized for business. I believe
that a happy wife equals a happy
life. It is an ongoing process that I
constantly seek to improve. Fortunately, my wife has been with me
for over 25 years. She has provided
unwavering support to my academic
career and research activities. I am

In 1996, I participated in, as a viceforever grateful for her tolerance
engineer-in-chief of one of the four prinand partnership.
cipal leading engineers, the building of
SMCM: Can you give us some biothe ground processing subsystem of
graphical highlights?
the China-owned positioning system.
Zhu: In 1979, I was accepted by
I was responsible for the entire system
the computer engineering program
design as well as the implementation of
of the Engineering and Technology
one of the three modules in the system.
Institute, China, which was among
Such an experience helped consolidate
the earliest of several such programs
a thorough knowledge of computer sysoffered by Chinese universities aftems and software engineering.
ter the Cultural Revolution. In the
I had an opportubeginning, I did not
nity to study abroad
know what being
in 1999. In that same
a computer major
Since childhood,
year, I was promoted
meant because I
to full professor at
was assigned to the
I have had a
NUDT. I was invited
program by the repowerful desire to
as a visiting profescruiting team of the
make significant
sor and then hired as
institute. Through
and beneficial
a special lecturer at
industrious study, I
the New Jersey Instibegan the process
contributions to
tute of Technology.
of understanding
the world.
It was there that I
and mastering the
began to understand
subject. Four years
the visions of inforlater, I received the
mation technologies/systems as differB.E. degree with honors as the top
ent from those of computer science. I
student in my class, with an overall
was offered a tenure-track position as
grade average greater than 90%.
assistant professor at Nipissing UniverAfter two years of working as a
sity in 2002. In 2010, I was promoted to
full-time teaching assistant in Luoyang
a full professor.
Foreign Language University, China,
I have published more than 140 reI was accepted as a graduate student
search papers, four books, and four
at the National University of Defense
book chapters on topics including
Technology (NUDT), China. At this
object-oriented programming, distribtime, I selected my own preferred subuted systems, collaborative systems,
ject, software engineering. During this
agent systems, and computer archiperiod, I participated, as one of the
tecture. I am a Senior Member of the
three principal investigators, in a projIEEE, a member of ACM, and a life
ect to implement the first object-orimember of the China Association for
ented software development system in
Science and Technology, USA.
China. This work received a first-class
I am a recipient of the Chancellor's
award at the ministry level in 1991. AfAward for Excellence in Research
ter earning my M.S. degree in 1988, as
(2011) and two research achieveone of five principal engineers, I particment awards from Nipissing Univeripated in a pioneering project to create
sity (2006-2007, 2012-2013), two IBM
one of the four intelligent computers in
Eclipse Innovation Grant Awards
China. This work helped me establish
(2004, 2005), the Best Paper Award
the "whole computer" concept. In 1994,
from the 11th International Society
I received a second first-class minisof Production Enhancement Internatry-level award for the project. After
tional Conference on Concurrent Engithat, I enrolled in the Ph.D. program of
neering (2004), the Educator's Fellowcomputer science and completed my
ship of Object-Oriented Programming
Ph.D. dissertation, "Object-Oriented
Systems, Languages, and Applications
Multi-Media Co-Authoring Systems." It
(2003), a Second Class National Award
was part of the earliest research into
of Education Achievement from the
CSCW in China.

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IEEE SyStEmS, man, & CybErnEtICS magazInE

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