Lixia Zhang facts for kids

Lixia Zhang (Chinese: 张丽霞) is a very smart computer scientist. She is a special professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She is an expert in how computer networks work, like the internet! She helped create important parts of the internet, like the Internet Engineering Task Force. She also designed a special way for computers to reserve space for data, called the Resource Reservation Protocol. She even came up with the word "middlebox" to describe certain network devices. Plus, she's a leader in a new way of thinking about how data moves online, called named data networking.

Her Early Life and Education

Lixia Zhang grew up in northern China. When she was young, schools were closed because of something called the Cultural Revolution. During that time, she worked as a tractor driver on a farm.

She later moved to the United States. In 1981, she earned a master's degree in electrical engineering from California State University, Los Angeles. She then went on to get her doctorate degree in 1989. She studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Her professor, David D. Clark, helped guide her studies.

After finishing her studies, she worked as a researcher at a place called Xerox PARC. In 1996, she joined UCLA as a professor. Lixia Zhang lives in Sherman Oaks with her husband, Jim Ma, and their two sons.

How She Helped Build the Internet

Lixia Zhang was one of the first people to help build the internet as we know it.

The Internet Engineering Task Force

In 1986, she was one of only 21 people at the very first meeting of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). This group helps make the rules for how the internet works. She was the only woman and the only student at that important meeting!

At first, she worked on how data finds its way through networks, which is called routing. Later, her research focused on making sure data gets where it needs to go smoothly, which is called quality of service. She was also a member of the Internet Architecture Board twice, from 1994 to 1996 and again from 2005 to 2009.

Resource Reservation Protocol

Lixia Zhang designed a special set of rules, or a "protocol," for networks. This protocol helps computers reserve space for data. It became the basis for the Resource Reservation Protocol, often called RSVP.

In 1993, she wrote an important paper about RSVP with other scientists. This paper was so important that in 2002, it was chosen as one of the top ten articles to be reprinted in a special magazine issue.

What is a Middlebox?

In 1999, Lixia Zhang came up with a new word: "middlebox." This word describes a computer device on a network that does more than just send data around. Think of it like a special helper device.

Examples of middleboxes include firewalls, which protect computers from bad stuff, and network address translators, which help connect many devices to the internet. Her term "middlebox" is now used all over the computer industry.

Named Data Networking

Since 2010, Lixia Zhang has been leading a big research project. This project is about a new way of thinking about how data moves online, called named data networking. It's a new idea that could change how we use the internet in the future.

Awards and Honors

Lixia Zhang has received many important awards for her work.

• In 2006, she became a "Fellow" of two major computer groups: the Association for Computing Machinery and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. This honor is given to people who have made big contributions to computer networks.
• In 2009, she won the IEEE Internet Award.
• In 2012, she was given the special title of "Postel Professorship" at UCLA.
• In 2014, Lixia Zhang was featured in a special deck of playing cards called "Notable Women in Computing." Her picture was on the four of diamonds!
• In 2020, she won the SIGCOMM Lifetime Achievement Award. This award celebrates her amazing career.
• In 2021, she was added to the Internet Hall of Fame. This means her work is recognized as being super important to the internet's history.
• In 2025, she was elected to the National Academy of Engineering. This is a very high honor for engineers in the United States.