University of Kentucky
USA
Dr. Issam Elias Harik is the Raymond-Blythe Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY. His research interests are in the areas of fiber reinforced polymer composite components and structures, structural evaluation and retrofit of bridges, and hazard management of highway structures. Since joining the University of Kentucky in August 1982, he has directed or co-directed the research of 125 funded projects, authored or co-authored more than 110 refereed Journal articles and 160 refereed conference articles, and more than 100 other technical publications including chapters in books. He has directed or is currently directing the research of more than 55 Post Docs, visiting professors, and scholars, 160 graduate students, 60 undergraduate students, and 25 high school students. He currently serves as a member of 9 societies. He has organized, co-organized, and chaired national and international conferences and workshops.
Hunan University
China
Dr. Xugang Hua earned his bachelor and master degree in civil engineering at Central South University, and his PhD degree at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. After one-year postdoctoral study, he joined the Department of Bridge Engineering at Hunan University in 2007, where he was promoted to full professor in 2013. Prof. Hua's researches focus wind-induced vibration and dynamics, structural health monitoring, structural vibration control with special reference to long-span bridges and wind turbine systems. His research has been funded by a number of fundamental research fund from NSFC and MOST, and also from industries. He has edited and published 2 monographs, and published over 100 journal papers. He is the recipients of the China National Technological Invention Award, the China National Science and Technology Progress Award.
Southeast University
China
Dr. Hao Wang is a Chair Professor at Southeast University. He earned his BSc in Civil Engineering (2001) and MSc in Bridge Engineering (2004) from Central South University, and his Ph.D. in Engineering Disaster Prevention and Mitigation from Southeast University in 2007. Elevated to Full Professor in 2015, he became a Distinguished Professor of the Changjiang Scholars Program in 2020. Currently, he serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Southeast University and director of the Wind-Induced Vibration and Control Committee of the Chinese Society for Vibration Engineering. His research focuses on bridge aerodynamics, structural health monitoring, and structural vibration control. As principal investigator, he has led a number of research projects, including key projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the National Key Research and Development Program. He has published over 150 academic papers (100+ SCIE-indexed). Notably, his research outcomes have been successfully implemented in several kilometer-level cable-supported bridges spanning the Yangtze River, such as the Sutong Yangze River Bridge, Zhangjinggao Yangze River Bridge, and Wufengshan Yangze River Bridge. His achievements have won two Second-Class National Science and Technology Progress Awards of China, three First-Class Jiangsu Science and Technology Progress Awards, and the IAWE Junior Award.
AECOM
USA
Dr. Ed Zhou is Associate Vice President and Bridge Instrumentation & Evaluation Lead in North America of AECOM. He has over 30 years of experience in multiple aspects throughout the bridge life cycle including analysis, design, inspection, load rating, problem diagnosis, fatigue and fracture assessment, structural testing/monitoring, as well as retrofit, rehabilitation, and replacement design. He earned his B.S. from Northern/Beijing Jiaotong University and M.S. and Ph.D. from Lehigh University, all in civil engineering. Dr. Zhou served as a past Chairman of ASCE Fatigue & Fracture Committee and a member of Committee 'Bridge and Structures Management' and Committee 'Testing and Evaluation of Transportation Structures' of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. He played a key role in development of multiple national standards and guidelines: a TRB task force member for updating Section 8: Load Testing of AASHTO's The Manual for Bridge Evaluation in 2023; co-author of TRB Circular E-C257 'Primer for Bridge Load Testing'; expert panel member of NCHRP Synthesis 571 'Load Rating of Bridges and Culverts with Missing or Incomplete As-Built Information'; and co-PI of NCHRP Report 721 'Fatigue Evaluation of Steel Bridges', which updated Section 7 of AASHTO's The Manual for Bridge Evaluation in 2015. As an adjunct faculty of Johns Hopkins University during 2000-2015, Dr. Zhou taught graduate-level courses 'Bridge Design Project', 'Fatigue and Fracture in Steel Bridges', and 'Bridge Design and Evaluation'.