top of page

Postdoctoral Researchers

Dac Hoang Nguyen

9_4747 hoang3545.jpg

Hoang Nguyen earned his BSc (2014) and MSc (2017) from the University of Architecture Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and his PhD (2022) from the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), South Korea. Before joining the University of Alberta, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Nevada, Reno, USA, and UNIST, South Korea. His current research focuses on the risk assessment of structural and infrastructure systems under earthquakes and the application of machine learning in structural earthquake engineering.

Serhii Naumets

IMG-20251114-WA0004.jpg

Serhii Naumets is a construction engineering researcher and educator specializing in simulation-based project planning, stochastic optimization, and interpretable AI applications in construction. He earned his MSc (2018–2020) and PhD (2020–2025) in Construction Engineering and Management from the University of Alberta, where his doctoral research introduced a novel stochastic time-window framework to enhance schedule and cost efficiency for infrastructure projects in remote and cold regions. Since October 2025, he has been a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Alberta, focusing on aging-in-place policies and housing adaptations for older adults, while also serving as an Assistant Lecturer for undergraduate and graduate courses in technical communications and analytical methods for project management. Before his academic career, he worked as a heavy equipment operator in Canada (2014–2018) and as a design engineer using BIM and CAD in Ukraine (2012–2014). His research has been recognized with prestigious awards, including an NSERC Doctoral Scholarship, Mitacs Accelerate Postdoctoral Internship, and Alberta Innovates Scholarship and Postdoctoral Research Grant. Currently based in Edmonton, Serhii is a dedicated scholar, fitness enthusiast, and proud parent of a rescue dog.

PhD Students

Chao Fan

IMG_6747.JPG

Chao Fan received bachelor's degree of Computer Engineering in University of Minnesota, USA. Received master's degree of Computer Science in New York University, USA. Currently a PhD student in the Mechanical Engineering department. Research interests are ergonomics, occupational safety and computer vision/machine learning.

Jiangyu Zeng

0f735acb287f73b939de951bcb0c6f2.jpg

Jiangyu received his bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Manitoba in 2019. He then moved to the University of Alberta to pursue an MSc degree in Structural Engineering with Dr. Qipei Mei and Dr. ‪Mustafa Gül. His master's thesis was about International Roughness Index (IRI) estimation using deep learning and computer vision. He is now a PhD student at the University of Alberta.

Hao Xie

1.jpg

Hao Xie received his bachelor’s degree in city underground space engineering and his master’s degree in civil engineering from Harbin Institute of Technology in 2017 and 2020, respectively. He is currently a PhD student in structural engineering at the University of Alberta. His interest includes building structural design automation.

Xiang Yuan

Xiang

Xiang received her Master of Science in Digital Engineering Management from University College London. Her previous research directions include Digital Twin platform development, data-integrated solutions improving project performance, and applying Smart Contracts in infrastructure procurement. She is pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering Management. Her current research mainly focuses on using Augmented Reality in the construction industry. The project is expected to develop a data-enabled skill training and safety-conscious enhanced platform from the practical meaning. And it will contribute to the theory development for safety management and worker-oriented engineering management utilizing computer vision and artificial intelligence.

Sida Ai

Photo_Sida Ai.jpg

Sida Ai received his bachelor degree in Civil Engineering form Xiangtan University, China. Then, he obtained his master degree in Architecture and Civil Engineering form Central South University, China. Now he is a PhD student in Structure Engineering under the supervision of Dr. Qipei Mei with the support of China Scholarship Council and University of Alberta. His future research area is the application of artificial intelligence in health monitoring.

Hui (Polo) Zuo

Website Photo - Polo (1)_edited.png

Hui (Polo) Zuo received his bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from Changsha University of Science and Technology, China, in 2019 and his master's degree in Bridge Engineering from Hunan University, China, in 2022. His master's thesis was about intelligent detection of structural damage based on infrared thermography and deep learning. Currently, he is a PhD student at the University of Alberta and will conduct research on remote construction site inspection through robotics and Mixed Reality (MR) technology.

Mohammad Talebi Kalaleh

IMG_1728.JPG

Mohammad is a motivated Ph.D. student in the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Alberta. He joined the Smart Infrastructure TEchnologies (SITE) Lab in January 2022 as a visiting scholar and then transferred his Ph.D. studies from Sharif University of Technology (SUT) to the University of Alberta in January 2023. Mohammad is currently conducting innovative research on using mobile sensor data for the intelligent monitoring of bridge structures under the supervision of Professor Mei. With a passion for structural engineering and a commitment to excellence, Mohammad boasts a strong academic background, consistently getting a 4/4 GPA throughout his all university studies. He was a first-rank student in Civil Engineering at Amirkabir University of Technology in Iran and received a silver medal in the National Olympiad of Civil Engineering (in 2015), recognizing his hard work and dedication. Mohammad then received his master's degree in Structural and Earthquake Engineering at SUT (in 2017), where he developed a cutting-edge method for semi-active control of structures under earthquake excitation. He also continued his academic success as a Ph.D. student in Structural Engineering at SUT, where he has been working on vibration-based Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) of structures using vision sensors.

Beilei Ji

Picture2.jpg

Beilei Ji received her master’s degree in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering from the China University of Petroleum (Beijing) in 2022. Her previous research was about structural safety analysis of pipelines in the geohazards area, including monitoring data analysis, ABAQUS simulation, intelligent pipeline model construction, etc. She is pursuing Ph.D. in Structural Engineering with Dr. Qipei (Gavin) Mei and Dr. Samer Adeeb at the University of Alberta. Her future research mainly focuses on stress and strain-based reliability assessment of pipelines subjected to permanent ground movement.

Zhong Wang

Image_20230814202018.jpg

Zhong Wang, PhD in Civil Engineering, University of Alberta. I am currently working on the project of developing and validating an integrated smart project management tool for Real-Time Decision-Making in project monitoring and control.

Yuezhen Gao

self_intro_edited.png

Yuezhen Gao received her master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Jilin University in June, 2023. Currently, she is pursuing her Ph.D. degree under the supervision of Dr. Qipei Mei in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Her research interests include applying robotic perception and computer vision methods to improve automation in construction.

Yisshak Gebretekle

YTG_Profile_Photo.jpg

Yisshak Gebretekle holds a Master of Science in Construction Management and Engineering from the University of Alberta (2023) and another Master of Science in Structural Engineering from Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia (2015). He graduated top of his class with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Addis Ababa University (2012). Professionally, Yisshak has served as a Graduate Research Assistant at the University of Alberta, where he developed the Digitalization Opportunities Road Mapping Tool (DORMT©) for the Construction Owners Association of Alberta (COAA). He also worked as a Structural Design Review Team Member and Assistant Resident Engineer at the Addis Ababa Institute of Technology, contributing to the structural design review of various complex structures. Additionally, he has experience as a Lecturer in the Chair of Concrete Materials and Structures at the same institution. Currently, he is pursuing his PhD with a research focus on the application of AI in structural design, aiming to bring innovative solutions to contemporary engineering challenges.

Yusen Jiao

IMG_6111.jpg

Yusen Jiao received his bachelor's degree in Mathematics and master's degree in Systems Design Engineering from the University of Waterloo. His master's thesis focused on data-centric machine learning. Currently, he is pursuing his Ph.D. under the supervision of Dr. Qipei Mei in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. His research interests involve applying large language models (LLMs) and computer vision techniques to enhance automation in construction.

Huyue Li

DSC05984.jpg

Huyue Li is a PhD student specializing in robot simulation, Sim-to-Real transfer, and embodied intelligence. His research explores how advanced robot learning and AI-driven systems can enable intelligent, adaptive robots for engineering and real-world applications. He holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Alberta and a Bachelor’s degree from Anhui University.

MSc Students

Samia Zakir Sarothi

1.jpg

I was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh. I completed my undergraduate degree in civil engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET) with structure as major and geo-tech as minor. After graduation, I joined as a lecturer in a private university of my country. Also, I started my M.Sc. in Civil and Structural engineering at BUET in 2018. My M.Sc. thesis is focused on experimental study of self-driven screw connection under tensile loading. My research interest is mainly focused on experimental and numerical study of steel connection under various loading condition. Also, I have experience in application of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in steel joint design. At my last work place, Military Institute of Science and Technology (Dhaka, Bangladesh), I got an opportunity to work on the application of machine learning (ML) on double shear bolted joints. I really enjoyed working with the machine learning techniques and hopefully in future I can get more such chances

Talha Muhammad

Screenshot_20240507_063558_Gallery.jpg

Muhammad Talha received his Bachelor's of science (B.Sc.) degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology Peshawar, Pakistan in 2023. After that, he became a student at the University of Alberta and is currently pursuing his M.Sc. (Thesis) in Civil Engineering (cross-disciplinary) building. He is doing research on the amalgamation of civil engineering with robotics using artificial intelligence techniques.

Undergraduate Students

Nasif Qadri (USRA)

PXL_20230720_123220836.PORTRAIT_2-EDIT (1).jpg

Nasif Qadri is going into his third year of Computer Engineering at the University of Alberta. His current project is focused on analyzing floor plan drawings using deep learning and computer vision. 

Mehmood Ahmad (USRA)

image_123650291.JPG

My name is Mehmood Ahmad and I’m a Third Year Computer Science Major Student. I’m passionate about learning and acquiring new skills and work towards developing new technologies to improve the world in whatever way I can.

Visiting Scholars/Students

Hongyang Xu

Hongyang.jpg

Hongyang Xu obtained his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Civil Engineering from Ludong University and China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing) in 2018 and 2021, respectively. During his undergraduate studies, he specialized in Bridges and Tunnels, while in his master's program, he focused on Lattice Boltzmann Method simulations of immiscible fluid displacement in the pore structures of rocks, coupled with experimental studies utilizing 3D-printed transparent visualizations.
Since 2021, he has been pursuing a Ph.D. at China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing) with research interests spanning machine health monitoring, target detection, and intelligent scheduling. In 2023, he received sponsorship from the China Scholarship Council (CSC) to undertake a one-year research at the University of Alberta. During this period, his research is dedicated to leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance production efficiency and reduce energy consumption in large-scale open-pit coal mines, ultimately achieving the intelligent and unmanned operation of coal mines.

bottom of page