Xichen (Catherine) Zhu

Biography

M.Eng. Concentration: Applied Operations Research
Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2018
Areas of Interest: Business Analytics, Risk Management, Consulting, Data Analytics

Xichen (Catherine) Zhu graduated from Washington and Lee University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics.

Catherine is passionate about business analytics and mathematical modeling and has greatly developed these skills through her undergraduate courses and internships. In her econometrics class, she built cross-sectional and time-series models with Stata and analyzed how a country’s instability would affects its oil production. With a developed interest, Catherine further applied and enhanced her skills in data analytics when working as a summer actuarial intern at Generali China. Throughout her internship, she conducted statistical analysis, collaborated with other staff members in calculating incurred but not reported (IBNR) and loss ratio, and verified relevant data to prepare for the adjustment of automobile insurance pricing models.

As an international student peer mentor at Washington and Lee University, Catherine provided insightful advice to incoming student and helped solve various problems they encountered whiling making transition to the new environment.

Catherine is eager to apply the technical and analytical skills she has acquired to solve real world problems. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and exploring local food all around the world with friends.