TEAM
The leaders of the Center for Low Carbon Built Environment represent expertise across the University of Michigan, including the College of Engineering and the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning.
Victor Li, Director
Victor Li is the James R. Rice Distinguished University Professor of Engineering and the E.B. Wylie Collegiate Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Michigan. His research interest is in multifunctional materials for civil infrastructure sustainability and resiliency. Named inventor on 10 US patents, Li led the research team that invented Engineering Cementitious Composites (ECC), popularly known as “Bendable Concrete.” His latest research has focused on reducing the carbon footprint of the built environment, and on 3D robotic printing of ECC large-scale structures. Li has been awarded the International Grand Prize for Innovation by the Construction Industry Council and the RILEM Life-time Achievement Award, as well as a “Doctor technics honoris causa” from the Technical University of Denmark. His work has been featured in CBS, CNN, the Discovery Channel, the Architectural Record, the Portland Cement Association, and Forbes Magazine. Victor Li’s Bio
Brian R. Ellis, Expert in geo-chemistry and carbon sequestration technologies
Brian R. Ellis is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Michigan. Prior to joining the CEE faculty in 2014, he was a Michigan Society of Fellows Postdoctoral Scholar and an NSF Science, Engineering, and Education for Sustainability Fellow at the University of Michigan. Ellis is a recipient of a Doctoral New Investigator award from the American Chemical Society and the 2019 UM Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Excellence Award. His research interests include the sustainable development of subsurface energy resources and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions. Included among these activities are the development of unconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs via hydraulic fracturing, the geologic storage of CO2, and the utilization of CO2 in cementitious materials. Ellis’s research group investigates the water-rock interactions that occur in these systems through a combination of experimental studies, imaging techniques, and geochemical modeling. Brian R. Ellis’ Bio
Wes McGee, Expert in digital fabrication and large scale 3D printing
Wes McGee is an Associate Professor and the director of the Fabrication and Robotics Lab at the University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. As co-founder and Partner of Matter Design, McGee has long explored the integration of advanced manufacturing technologies with critical design-driven workflows. He is currently known for innovating in the space of design and fabrication across a range of material processes, particularly in the application of industrial robotic tools to architectural production. McGee’s work has been published widely, and he has taught workshops and master classes across the US, Europe, the Middle East, and in Australia. McGee has received the Architectural League Prize for Young Architects & Designers, the Design Biennial Boston Award, and the ACADIA Award for Innovative Research, as well as multiple Architect Magazine R+D awards. His research revolves around the means and methods of material production in architecture, focusing on developing new connections among design, engineering, materials, and manufacturing processes as they relate to the built environment. At Matter Design, he explores these techniques across a range of scales and materials, with the goal of creating new possibilities for design and architecture. Wes McGee’s Bio
SangHyun Lee, Expert in digital twinning for cleaner, safer and more efficient construction
SangHyun Lee is a Professor and John L. Tishman Faculty Scholar at the University of Michigan and the head of the College of Engineering’s Dynamic Project Management Laboratory. His research centers around anthropocentric construction and infrastructure management to achieve maximum performance from technologies such as wearables, robotics, and automation. Lee has served as Chair of ASCE Construction Research Council, Chair of ASCE Visualization, Information Modeling. and Simulation Committee, and Board of Governor at ASCE Construction Institute, among other leadership roles. He has also served as editor for the ASCE Journal of Construction Engineering and Management and the ASCE Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering, among others. His awards include the ASCE Daniel W. Halpin Award for Scholarship in Construction, the ASCE Thomas Fitch Rowland Prize, FIATECH’s Outstanding Early Career Researcher Award, CII’s Distinguished Professor Award, the CSCE Stephan G. Revay Award, the UM Henry Russel Award, and the Tom Waters Award. Lee has two patents, two books, and one start-up company. His more than 200 peer-reviewed articles have earned nine best paper awards, including the ASCE Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering best paper awards twice. SangHyun Lee’s Bio
Yafeng Yin, Expert in novel transportation solutions for a low carbon economy
Yafeng Yin is a Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering at the University of Michigan. His research interest is modeling and optimization of multimodal urban transportation systems for achieving efficiency and sustainability. Yin has published more than 100 refereed papers in leading academic journals and currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief of Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies, Department Editor of Service Science, and Associate Editor of Transportation Science. In 2017, he was elected to serve on the International Advisory Committee of the International Symposium of Transportation and Traffic Theory (ISTTT). His recognition includes the Doctoral Mentoring Award from University of Florida, Outstanding Leadership Award by the Chinese Overseas Transportation Association (COTA), and the Stella Dafermos Best Paper Award and the Ryuichi Kitamura Paper Award from Transportation Research Board of the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Yafeng Yin’s Bio