Lily Xu

Lily Xu is a computer scientist developing AI methods across machine learning, optimization, and causal inference for environmental management, with a focus on biodiversity conservation. She aims to enable practitioners to make effective decisions in the face of limited data, taking actions that are robust to uncertainty, effective at scale, and future-looking. In her work, Lily partners closely with NGOs to bridge research and practice, serving as AI Lead for the SMART Partnership. Since 2020, she has co-organized the EAAMO research initiative, committed to advancing Equity and Access in Algorithms, Mechanisms, and Optimization.

Lily holds a PhD in computer science from Harvard University and a B.A. from Dartmouth College. She is currently a postdoc with the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery, and in July 2025 will begin as an assistant professor at Columbia University.