Lu Zhang is an associate professor in the Myers-Lawson School of Construction at Virginia Tech. She previously worked as an Assistant Professor at Moss Department of Construction Management at Florida International University. Lu Zhang received her PhD in civil engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She holds a master’s degree in construction engineering and management from the University of Michigan, and a bachelor’s degree in construction management from Tongji University, China.
Zhang’s research focuses on smart buildings and cities, resilient infrastructure systems, cyber human systems, human-centered analysis, artificial intelligence, and building information modeling. She aims to create innovative solutions for new generations of resilient built environments that are planned, designed, constructed, and operated with greater human awareness, intelligence, equity, and environmental consciousness. Her research is supported by research grants from different agencies, including the National Science Foundation, the Florida Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Engineering Information Foundation, and the Natural Hazards Center.