2023New Faculty
The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is excited to welcome our new 2023 faculty members.
Haifeng Wang
Ph.D.: Civil Engineering, University at Buffalo, 2021
M.S.: Civil Engineering, Southeast University, 2015
What do you teach?
Currently, I’m teaching CE430 indeterminate structures.
Why do you like teaching?
I like teaching because I can share my knowledge with the next generation engineers and researchers. I believe knowledge is valuable when it is shared with others, and I enjoy the moment when I see student’s faces light up for solving a problem.
What cool things are happening in your classroom?
We’ll be using MATLAB and WebGL for visualizing the structure models.
What does your research consist of?
My research consists of wind engineering and structural engineering. Basically, I study the effect of winds on buildings.
If you could name one person who inspires you, who would it be?
Alan G. Davenport, whose name is one of the most recognized in wind engineering. In my mind, his pioneering work in wind engineering keeps inspiring me to keep searching for elegant ways of solving engineering problems. For example, the famous Alan G. Davenport’s wind loading chain concept, where the effect of wind actions on buildings is statistically evaluated in the frequency domain after several simplifications, makes me think about how to make an effective trade-off between efficiency and accuracy.
What’s your favorite spot on Pullman’s campus?
The Plant Science Greenhouse. It looks good at night with lights on and makes me feel warm.
Read more about Dr. Wang
Jia Li
Ph.D.: Civil Engineering, University of California, Davis, 2013
M.Phil. : Civil Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2008
What do you teach?
Transportation Engineering and Advanced Topics in Transportation.
Why do you like teaching?
Teaching is a direct way of influencing the young generations. Teaching also lets me think about research from another angle and often stimulates my thoughts.
What advice do you have for students?
Find your passion and stay hungry.
What are you currently researching?
My research is aimed at making transportation systems smarter, through modeling, algorithm design, and tool development.
Why would you recommend Washington State University to others?
WSU has strong academic programs, dedicated faculty, and active student life. The community is friendly and supportive.
Read more about Dr. Li
Pouria Bahmani
Ph.D.: Civil Engineering, Colorado State University, 2015
M.S. : Civil Engineering, South Dakota State University, 2010
What do you teach?
I teach design of timber structures (CE 5436 & CE 539) and earthquake engineering (CE 538). I also taught structural analysis and finite element method courses.
Why do you like teaching?
I like teaching because I can share my knowledge and experience that I gained during my time in academia and industry with my students. Teaching the next generation of structural engineers is so rewarding.
What advice do you have for students?
In highly encourage my students to be a critical thinker. This encourages them to think about different ways of solving a problem and improves their problem-solving ability. I always tell my students that they should not be an “operator”; rather, they should be an “engineer” who can think and use his or hers engineering skills to come up with a more economical and efficient design without compromising the safety of the structure.
What does your research consist of?
My research focuses on performance-based engineering, innovative mass timber structures, design of modular construction, sustainable and resilient infrastructure systems, and large-scale dynamic testing.
What’s your favorite spot on Pullman’s campus?
The PACCAR high-bay structural lab! I love conducting experiments and see the performance of structural members.
Read more about Dr. Bahmani