Mrs. Aylward was born and raised in Nantong City, Jiangsu Province, China. She received her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Jiangsu Institute of Technology and then taught there for two years. She earned her M.S. in Information Science from Jilin University of Technology. In 1986, she came to the University of Wisconsin for a second M.S. in Industrial Engineering. She then worked for the metal casting industry for two years as a systems engineer. Mrs. Aylward was a trustee for The Norton Museum of Art for six years and a trustee of Palm Beach Day School for four years. She serves as an Honorary Consultant for The Nantong Overseas Chinese Museum and an executive trustee of Jiangsu University Alumni Association in the U.S. She is involved with many civic and charitable groups in the community. She and her husband, Bill, live in Palm Beach. They have two children.