Dr. Dong Zhao

Biography

Dong Zhao is an Associate Professor in Construction Management and an Adjunct Associate Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Michigan State University. He also serves as the Director of the M.S.C.M. and Ph.D. programs in Planning, Design, and Construction. He completed his Ph.D. in Building Construction at Virginia Tech, following a Master’s degree in Building Science and a Master’s in Engineering Management, both earned at Chongqing University. Dr. Zhao’s research emphasizes human-building integration towards developing smart and sustainable cities, focusing on how human factors interact with building systems through advanced computing technologies to enhance energy efficiency and productivity. His scholarly contributions include over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers, and he is a recognized speaker, having delivered a TEDx talk. He has received numerous awards for excellence in teaching and research, including the prestigious NSF CAREER Award and the ASCE ExCEEd Teaching Award. Dr. Zhao is actively involved in service to the academic community, reviewing for over 60 international journals and serving on committees such as the ASCE’s Data Sensing Analysis Committee. His work is supported by a variety of federal and state funding agencies, showing his commitment to advancing education and research in the field.

Research Interests

Experience

Awards