He earned a PhD in Building Construction from Virginia Tech and holds a certification of Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professional from the U.S. Green Building Council. Zhao has authored more than 30 refereed scholarly publications in the area of architecture, engineering and construction. He also serves as a reviewer or scientific committee member for more than 10 international journals and conferences. Zhao has professional experience from a variety of construction projects across Asia and America.