People

Liang Zhang, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Dept. of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Mechanics, University of Arizona
Joint Research Scientist, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)

Dr. Liang Zhang’s research lies in the intersection of building decarbonization and physics-informed artificial intelligence. He led and worked on high-profile U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and National Science Foundation (NSF) projects related to artificial intelligence in buildings, trans-scalar building energy modeling, smart and connected communities, and fault detection & diagnostics. He has been distinguished as the recipient of the DOE prestigious Key Contributor Award for the year 2021.

Seyed Amirhosain Sharif

Dr. Seyed Amirhosain Sharif, with over 12 years in architecture and project management, leveraged digital tools for better decision-making in construction. His Ph.D. from Concordia University focused on enhancing building energy performance with machine learning, earning him multiple awards and recognitions, including the Quebec Research Fund and Pierre Arbour scholarship. As co-founder of ExtergyAI, he applied his research to urban energy efficiency, supported by leading Canadian incubators and tech giants. His work emphasizes the use of Metaverse, Large Language Models, and Digital Twins to foster smarter, inclusive cities. Dr. Sharif’s contributions are marked by a blend of innovation, leadership, and commitment to societal betterment.

Xiaoqin Fu

Xiaoqin is a PhD student and a research assistant at BESLab. He received his bachelor’s degree in Computer Application from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 1991 and a master’s degree in Computer Application Technology from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2006. His first PhD from Washington State University focused on software engineering, including program analysis and machine learning for security and data applications for distributed systems. Xiaoqin has more than ten years’ work experience at several companies in China and the USA, focusing on software development, including requirements, coding, testing, maintenance, management, and so on. He has also published more than ten academic papers, including ones accepted by top conferences and journals. The research interests of Xiaoqin are artificial intelligence, machine learning, large language models, and their applications in smart buildings.

Huiwen Zhou

Huiwen Zhou holds a Master of Engineering in Civil Engineering from Tongji University and a Bachelor of Engineering in Building Environment and Energy Engineering from Hunan University. Her research focuses on district energy optimization, low-carbon energy dispatch strategies, and carbon emissions calculation. She has developed expertise in modeling and simulating building energy systems, conducting whole life-cycle assessments, and optimizing energy operations for low-carbon industrial and commercial parks using tools such as EnergyPlus, DesignBuilder, and genetic algorithms.

Sunil Khadka

Sunil received his bachelor’s in Industrial Engineering in 2017 and a Master’s in Mechanical Design in 2021 from Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University. He has more than five years’ experience in the HVAC industry in Nepal working on building energy techniques, occupant behavior, and thermal comfort zone. His final thesis paper was based on CFD analysis of HVAC systems in isolation rooms during Covid-19. His research interests are machine learning control in building energy, fault detection system, and building energy modeling.