MINGXI lIU

ELECTRICAL ENGINEER

Projects: Microgrid Kayenta, A Resilient Broadband Solution for Kayenta Chapter of the Navajo Nation

Born and raised in a normal family, but living around “privileged” people, Mingxi knows better than others the meaning of equity since he was a kid. That small seed of equity rapidly sprouted after he moved to Vancouver Island and learned the history of the First Nations in Canada. After moving to Utah and visiting Dinnehotso in Navajo Nation, Mingxi’s yearn for social equity and justice are in blossom. His vision of equity is not about superficial top-down protection and scattered investment in disadvantaged groups, but rather about how to bottom-up change the mindset of advantaged groups and develop adaptive and systemic solutions. Mingxi cherishes every pixel surrounding him – from a grain of sand to a fleet of ants, from a breeze to a ray of sunshine. Created equally, treated equally.

Currently, Mingxi is an Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Utah. His research focuses on control and optimization theories and their applications in addressing scalability, privacy, and cyber-security in power and energy systems. He is a recipient of the 2022 NSF CAREER award. Mingxi started to work with Nááts'íilid Initiative in 2020 to generate holistic solutions in bringing reliable electric power supply to Diné people and adapting advanced technologies to native lands. Mingxi is a dedicated archer shooting Olympic recurve bows, twice Utah State Championship silver medalist, and an USA Archery Level II Coach whose student has received gold and silver medals in Utah State tournaments.