People / Students / Class of 2025
Fuqian Zou graduated from Northeastern University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering and a minor in Mathematics. During her undergraduate studies, she established a solid foundation in mathematics, machine learning, and optimization. Beyond traditional coursework, she applied these skills to tackle challenges like analyzing COVID-19 testing policies, predicting patients' length of stay, and optimizing operations at Rebecca’s Café. She also completed a research project in which she applied the keyword co-occurrence network algorithm to analyze the knowledge structure and evolution of research themes in digital twin manufacturing. The profound sense of accomplishment she derived from this experience and the complex logic of algorithms sparked her eagerness to further explore data science. Driven by this ambition, Fuqian began her professional journey at Midea Group as an information technology engineer. In this role, she collaborated with the Intelligent Manufacturing Algorithm Research Institute on multiple digitalization projects. Her work involved applying data science techniques and machine learning algorithms to improve manufacturing processes. In one rewarding project, she assisted in employing online quality monitoring and defect prediction techniques to reduce the product defect rate from 3% to 1%. Additionally, her team utilized data collected from equipment to forecast its failure and remaining useful life, resulting in a 40% reduction in unplanned downtime. As a core member of the project, Fuqian represented the team at the Midea 28th Annual Technology Forum and won the First Prize in the Digital Technology Award. At Midea Group, she delivered innovative solutions based on data and algorithms to address complex manufacturing problems and demonstrated effective cross-departmental communication skills, contributing greatly to her team. She also received the Rising Star Award and the Outstanding Student Award for the Digitalization Research Projects Training Camp. Fuqian recognizes how important a deeper understanding of data science is to address the challenges of this data-driven era. This realization has fueled her decision to pursue the MLDS program at Northwestern University, where she aspires to enhance her professional skills, expand her network, and gain more industry experience.
