Ya Wei, Ph.D., F.ASCE, a full professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, has been named a fellow by the ASCE Board of Direction.
Wei has over 20 years of academic and professional experience in civil engineering education, research, and practice. After earning her doctoral degree in civil engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, she joined Tsinghua University in 2010. Prior to her academic career, she also gained valuable industry experience working as a research assistant at the Ministry of Transportation of China and as an engineering project evaluation specialist.
A recognized expert in the field of pavement engineering and civil engineering materials, Wei’s research heavily focuses on the multiscale characterization of cementitious materials, creep behavior, ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC), and smart transportation infrastructure monitoring. She has spearheaded numerous high-profile research grants, including those funded by the National Key R&D Program of China and the National Natural Science Foundation. Her extensive scholarly contributions include authoring three books, securing 39 invention patents, and publishing over 160 peer-reviewed articles in highly esteemed SCI journals.
Wei is deeply committed to the civil engineering profession and has served in several critical leadership roles. She chaired the ASCE EMI Nanomechanics and Micromechanics Committee (2021–23) and currently serves as a member for the ASCE Properties of Materials Committee. She also contributes significantly to the scientific community as the executive chief editor of the Journal of Highway and Transportation Research and Development, as well as serving as the associate editor of several top-tier international journals.
Her exceptional achievements have been recognized with numerous prestigious honors. She is a recipient of the prestigious National Award for Technological Innovation (Second Prize) and the National Scientific and Technological Progress Award (Second Prize), along with multiple top scientific progress awards from the Highway Society of China.
