Jian Li, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE, a distinguished researcher and educator, has been named a fellow by the ASCE Board of Direction.
Li is a professor and the Dean R. and Florence W. Frisbie Associate Chair of Graduate Studies in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering at the University of Kansas (KU), where he also holds a courtesy appointment in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
His research advances both the theoretical and experimental development of cutting-edge sensing and structural health monitoring (SHM) techniques, enhancing the resilience and sustainability of civil infrastructure under operational and extreme loading conditions. He directs the Resilient and Intelligent Structures Technology (RESiST) Lab at KU and is a leading expert in SHM and structural inspection, focusing on critical infrastructure such as bridges, buildings, and dams.
Li’s pioneering work integrates advanced sensor technologies, wireless smart sensor networks (WSSN), long-term fatigue crack monitoring, and state-of-the-art computer vision and machine learning algorithms to improve SHM methodologies. By bridging theoretical advancements with rigorous experimental validation, his research has led to practical, reliable SHM solutions.
As a principal investigator and co-PI, Li has secured over $11 million in competitive research funding, supported by federal agencies such as the National Academy of Sciences, the Transportation Pooled Fund Program, and the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, as well as state grants.
He has received numerous accolades for his contributions to the field, including the Takuji Kobori Prize, the Rising Stars in Structural Engineering Award, and the Miller Professional Service Award for Distinguished Research. He holds three U.S. patents and has authored over 160 publications. He currently serves as the vice chair of the ASCE Structural Health Monitoring & Control Committee, a board member and secretary of the U.S.-China Earthquake Engineering Foundation, and an editorial board member for multiple international journals.
A licensed professional engineer in the State of Kansas, Li earned his bachelor’s (2005) and master’s (2007) degrees in civil engineering from Harbin Institute of Technology, China, and his doctorate (2013) in civil engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
