Before he joined MSU he was a postdoctoral scholar in Department of Structural Engineering at University of California, San Diego. He received his Ph.D. degree in 2011 from Department of Structural Engineering at University of California, San Diego. He received his M.S. and B.S. degrees from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2007 and 2004, respectively. He has published 30+ papers in peer-reviewed journals. His research is focused on advanced nanoprous materials, novel energy mitigation mechanisms, multifunctional engineering materials and structures, and high-strain-rate behavior of materials.