Jidong ZHAO 趙吉東

Prof Jidong Zhao is currently Professor in Geomechanics of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Prof Zhao received both his Bachelor degree and PhD from Tsinghua University. Prior to joining HKUST, he was a lecturer and university research fellow of the University of Newcastle, Australia. Prof Zhao works on theoretical and computational geomechanics and multiscale and multiphysics modeling of granular media. The objective of his research is to develop advanced micromechanics-based constitutive models and robust multiscale and multiphysics computational tools to enhance our predictive capabilities on key behavior of granular solids in the presence of interstitial fluids and subjected to complex loading cases such as mechanical, hydraulic, thermal and chemical loads. Through his research, Prof Zhao aims particularly to advance our fundamental understanding of key soil behavior, to push forward the development of soil mechanics theories and to understand how such instability phenomenon as soil liquefaction and strain localization interplay with the underlying microstructural mechanisms in granular media during their occurrence and formation, with reference to related engineering applications. Prof Zhao is on the editorial board for Computers and Geotechnics (Elsevier) and a frequent reviewer for over 20 leading journals in the areas of geotechnical engineering, computational geomechanics and solid mechanics. He has been invited to assess proposals for Australian Research Council (ARC), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Chilean National Science and Technology Commission (CONICYT) and Research Grants Council of Hong Kong (RGC/HK). He serves as the Secretary for TC103 Numerical Methods in Geomechanics and a committee member of TC105 Micromechanics of ISSMGE. He was the recipient of 2007 University of Newcastle Research Fellowship Award, 2002 Tsinghua University Excellent Doctoral Thesis Award.