Dr. Lin Li is Professor in the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering at Tennessee State University (TSU). He is serving as Dean of the College of Engineering at TSU. Dr. Li received his PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is a PE in three states and a Fellow of ASCE. He teaches geotechnical engineering courses, including foundation engineering, unsaturated soil mechanics, geoenvironmental engineering, advanced soil mechanics, and soil dynamics. His expertise is in innovative levee testing and protection, bio-mediated ground improvement, sustainable infrastructure, and geo-environmental area. He is recognized as a leading expert in the research field. He chairs and speaks at international conferences on those subjects and has published 5 books and book chapters and over 150 heavily cited referred journal papers. He has served as the principal investigator or co-principal investigator on over 30 sponsored research projects representing well over $11.5 Million from National Science Foundation, Department of Homeland Security, US Army Corps of Engineer, US Department of Transportation, US Department of Housing and Urban Development, Tennessee DOT, Mississippi DOT, Recycled Materials Resource Center under Federal Highway Administration, Institute for Multimodal Transportation under Federal Transit Administration. Dr. Shihui Liu is Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering at Tennessee State University. Dr. Liu holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Jackson State University and completed her postdoctoral research at Tennessee State University. Her research interests are ground improvement, sandy soil remediation, and bio-inspired and smart construction materials and development. Dr. Shihui Liu is an accomplished educator and researcher. With a passion for advancing knowledge and a commitment to academic excellence, Dr. Liu has made significant contributions to the field of innovative building and construction materials. Dr. Liu won three research grants during her first academic year at Tennessee State University. Dr. Kejun Wen, serving as an Assistant Professor within the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at JSU, is a dedicated educator and accomplished researcher. Holding a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Jackson State University, Dr. Wen also holds a professional engineering license in the state of Texas. In her role, Dr. Wen imparts knowledge across a spectrum of civil engineering courses, catering to both undergraduate and graduate students. Her expertise spans topics ranging from foundational Engineering Mechanics to specialized areas such as Strength of Materials, Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering, and Introduction to Transportation Engineering. With a comprehensive curriculum that includes Water Resource Engineering, Foundation Engineering, Advanced Foundation Engineering, and Traffic Engineering. Dr. Wen boasts over a decade of research experience, particularly in the development of innovative bio-inspired construction materials and nature-based solutions for ground improvement. Xinyu Lu is a research associate in the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering at Tennessee State University (TSU). She received her graduate degree in civil engineering at TSU. She previously earned a Master of Science in Resource and Environmental Engineering and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Management from Chongqing University of Science and Technology (CQUST), China. Her research interests include sustainable construction materials, bio-mediated ground improvement, and the recycling of agricultural and industrial waste. She is particularly focused on developing sustainable innovative materials such as hempcrete and microbial-induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) bio-bricks. Her expertise lies in blending biotechnology with civil engineering to promote sustainable construction practices, reduce carbon emissions, and enhance soil stability. Xinyu Lu is the author or co-author of 8 peer-reviewed published articles with total citation of 148, and 5 articles are under review. She has published extensively on topics such as rubberized concrete, recycled aggregate concrete, and bio-mediated soil improvement. She has also contributed to practical advancements, holding six invention patents related to sustainable construction technologies. Her academic excellence is reflected in her numerous awards, including the prestigious China National Scholarship (Top 0.2%) for both undergraduate and graduate studies, and the Academic First-Class Scholarship (awarded four times, Top 1%). She also graduated with the highest honors from CQUST. Beyond her academic achievements, Xinyu actively contributes to the scholarly community as a peer reviewer for renowned journals, including Environmental Science and Pollution Research and Geomicrobiology Journal. She has participated in several high-impact workshops and symposia, fostering collaborations and advancing research in sustainable civil engineering.
