Prior to this position, he was an Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering and Mechanics at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. He received his bachelor’s degree from Tongji University, his master’s from the Technical University of Denmark, and his Ph.D. from Washington University in St. Louis, all in environmental engineering. He holds 2 U.S. patents and has published more than 120 journal papers. He has graduated 5 Ph.D. students and 8 M.S. students.