Yiying Xiong joined the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) as associate director in 2021. Xiong oversees all aspects of GLBRC’s business operations including research program management, core facilities, IT services, annual budgeting, personnel management, recruitment, reporting to the U.S. Department of Energy, technology commercialization, industry collaboration, stakeholder engagement, event planning, community education and outreach, and DEIA initiatives. In addition, she works closely with the GLBRC director and science directors on strategic planning and grant proposal management.

Xiong brings over 20 years of experience in business strategy and program management in renewable energy and sustainability sectors and has served various leadership roles in a number of professional organizations in the U.S. and internationally. She has led nearly 100 renewable energy and climate change projects in 20 countries on six continents. She is also an internationally-known advocate for diversity, mentorship and workforce development.

Xiong holds an M.B.A. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, an M.S. in civil and environmental engineering from Marquette University and a B.E. in hydraulics and hydropower engineering from Tsinghua University (China). She is a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and recipient of the 2021 Women with Hydro Vision award by HYDROVISION International.