Researchers
Post-Doctoral Researchers
Zhidong Zhang
Post-Doctoral Researcher - Civil and Environmental Engineering
Zhidong Zhang is a postdoctoral researcher in the I−S2EE Lab. He had research experience in earthquake engineering and structural stability. He is dedicated to researching structural health monitoring through mechanics-based and data-driven approaches to advance resilient, healthy, and sustainable infrastructure. He is currently working on a deep learning based digital twin framework.
Graduate Students
Ayatollah (Aya) Yehia
Ph.D. Student - Systems Engineering
Ayatollah (Aya) Yehia is a Ph.D. student (Systems Engineering) in the I-S2EE Lab. She received her MASc in Civil Engineering from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. She is working on building a digital twin, utilizing data from multiple sensors and machine learning.
Zahra (Maral) Zhiyanpour
Ph.D. Student - Civil Engineering
Zahra (Maral) Zhiyanpour is a Ph.D. student (Civil Engineering) in the in the I-S2EE Lab. Her current research focuses on building surrogate models for DIC and FEA, having real-time engagement with the structure, and creating the digital twin of these models.
Peter McClure
Ph.D. Student - Systems Engineering
Peter McClure is a Ph.D. student in Systems Engineering in the I-S2EE Lab. He has a B.S. and M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering and has work experience in shock physics and the processing/reliability of electronic assemblies. Currently, he is working on using advanced imaging and sensing to inform digital twins for in situ damage prediction.
Undergraduate Students
Connor Lyons
Undergraduate Researcher - Mechanical Engineering
Connor Lyons is a fourth-year mechanical engineering undergraduate student (physics double major) at UVA from Morgantown, WV. Connor’s research is focused on simulation and modeling for digital twin applications of structural systems.
Ryan Nguyen
Undergraduate Researcher - Computer Science
Ryan Nguyen is a first-year undergrad majoring in computer science (BSCS). His research is focused on developing a new augmented reality mobile app that uses machine learning to perform structural analysis. In general, he is interested in artificial intelligence in all contexts.
Lauren Tran
Undergraduate Researcher - Civil Engineering
Lauren Tran is a first-year civil engineering undergraduate student and Rodman Scholar at the University of Virginia from New York. She is also considering a minor in Spanish. Her research is centered around utilizing laser scanning as a non-destructive evaluation technique for structural analysis.
Saif Rahman
Undergraduate Researcher - Aerospace Engineering
Saif Rahman is a second-year aerospace engineering undergraduate student at UVA from Virginia Beach, VA. He is also pursuing a minor in computer science. His research is focused on augmented reality and how it can be used to incorporate real time engagement with structures.