Hu Zheng | Granular Matter Award | Best Researcher Award

Prof. Hu Zheng, Granular Matter Award, Best Researcher Award

PHD at Tongji University, Shanghai, China

Hu Zheng, Ph.D., is a Professor of Geotechnical Engineering at Tongji University, Shanghai. With expertise in disordered materials, his research focuses on granular media mechanics, geo-granular stability, and flow behavior. He obtained his Ph.D. from Tongji University, including an exchange program at Duke University. Dr. Zheng has held positions at Duke University and Hohai University, garnering substantial research funding, including grants from NSFC and NSF. He actively mentors graduate, undergraduate, and high school students and teaches courses in engineering geology and environmental engineering. Dr. Zheng’s work contributes significantly to understanding and preventing geo-hazards like landslides and debris flow.

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Education:

Ph.D. in Geological Engineering: Tongji University, Shanghai, China, 2008 – 2013 Thesis Title: Experimental study on deformation characteristics of soil (granular) materials Adviser: Prof. Yu Huang Exchange Program at Duke University, Sept 2011 – Sept 2012, funded by China Scholarship Council ($20,000 USD)

Professional Positions:

Professor: Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, China, 2019 – Present Research Scientist: Department of Physics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA, 2018 – 2019 Postdoctoral Research Associate: Department of Physics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA, 2015 – 2018 Adviser: Prof. Robert P. Behringer Assistant Professor: School of Earth Science and Engineering, Hohai University, 2013 – 2015

Funding Experience:

Principal Investigator (PI): Study on the granular flow of geomaterials in low-pressure environments, NSFC, $81,000 USD, 2023-2027 Macro and Meso trans-scale correlation of geo-granular shear failure, NSFC, $113,000 USD, 2017-2021 Collaborator/Contributor: Self-Assembly in the Macro-World, W.M. Keck Foundation, $1,000,000 USD, 2014-2019 (Second only to the PI within the Duke portion) Structure, Response, and Flow of Dense Granular Materials, NSF, $500,000 USD, 2018-2021 (Second only to the PI)

Teaching Experience:

Supervising & Mentoring: Supervised and mentored graduate, undergraduate, and high school student research since 2013. Supervised graduate and undergraduate students at Duke University and Hohai University.

Research Focus:

Dr. Hu Zheng’s research focuses on the mechanical behavior and stability analysis of granular materials. His work delves into understanding phenomena such as shear jamming, stability analysis of soil slopes, and the effects of intruder friction on granular impact dynamics. Dr. Zheng employs experimental techniques including photoelasticimetry and computational fluid dynamics modeling to investigate the microscopic origins of shear jamming and the behavior of granular materials under various conditions. Through his studies, Dr. Zheng contributes valuable insights into the fundamental properties and behavior of granular matter, advancing our understanding of geotechnical engineering and related fields.

Publications (TOP NOTES)

Sinking in a bed of grains activated by shearing, Cited by 18, Publication date 2018.

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