Prof. William Powrie

University of Southampton, UK

Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering

Professor William Powrie was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2009 for his pioneering contributions to the fields of environmental geotechnical engineering and transportation geotechnical engineering.

Since 2018, he has been leading the UK Collaboratorium for Research on Infrastructure and Cities (UKCRIC) — a consortium of 15 universities — and also heads the Infrastructure Excellence Centre of the UK Rail Research and Innovation Network (UKRRIN). One of his key research focuses is the application of soil mechanics principles to "complex" soils and soil-like materials, including landfill waste, high-strength interlocked sand bodies, and railway ballast. He is the author of the internationally renowned textbook Soil Mechanics: Concepts and Applications.

Professor Powrie has maintained close collaboration with the industry and has participated in a number of major civil engineering projects, such as the Conwy Immersed Tube Tunnel, the Medway Immersed Tube Tunnel, the Jubilee Line tube stations at Canary Wharf and Canada Water, and the UK High Speed 1 (HS1). In addition, he serves as the chair of the Independent Geotechnical Expert Panel for the UK High Speed 2 (HS2).

Prof. Chaofeng Zeng

Hunan University of Science and Technology, China

Leader of Civil Engineering Discipline of Hunan University of Science and Technology

Chaofeng Zeng is a PhD (postdoctoral), professor, and doctoral supervisor, currently leading the civil engineering discipline at Hunan University of Science and Technology as a Xiangjiang Scholar. He serves as the director of the Analytical Testing Center and deputy director of the State-owned Assets and Laboratory Management Office. His research focuses on disaster prevention and mitigation in underground engineering. He has hosted 12 national and provincial projects including National Natural Science Foundation projects and Hunan Provincial Outstanding Youth projects. As the first or corresponding author, he has published 47 SCI/EI papers in high-level journals such as the "Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering" and "Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology." He has received the Second Prize of the Hunan Provincial Natural Science Award and holds 20 public patents. He has contributed to the publication of one translated work and two industry standards. Zeng is a member of various committees including the Soft Soil Engineering Committee of the China Civil Engineering Society and serves as a reviewer for 64 domestic and international journals. His primary research areas include disaster evaluation and prevention in geotechnical and urban underground engineering, environmentally friendly foundation support systems, groundwater management, and the theoretical assessment of defective and permeable piles.

Prof. Zhang Lin

Hunan University , China

National Young Talent

Professor LingZhang was born in April 1982 in Linhai, Zhejiang Province. She currently serves as a Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the School of Civil Engineering, Hunan University. She has been selected as a National Young Talent and awarded the title of Yuelu Scholar (Morning Star Program, Grade A), and has long been engaged in teaching and scientific research in the field of geotechnical engineering. From January 2017 to December 2021, she worked as an Associate Professor at the School of Civil Engineering, Hunan University, and has held the position of Professor at the same school since January 2022. She has achieved remarkable results in presiding over scientific research projects, having presided over 4 projects of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and 1 project of the Hunan Provincial Excellent Young Scientists Fund. Her academic achievements are fruitful: she has published more than 100 academic papers in core journals at home and abroad, including over 42 SCI-indexed papers, and has obtained 13 invention patents. In terms of awards and honors, she has won 1 First Prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award (ranked 12th), 1 Second Prize of the National Teaching Achievement Award (ranked 10th), among others. Meanwhile, she also holds a number of academic part-time positions, including Member of the Editorial Board of *Geomechanics*, Director of the 11th National Committee on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Director of the Geotechnical Foundation Branch of the Architectural Society of China, and Director of the 3rd Council of the Environmental Geotechnical Engineering Branch of the Chinese Society for Rock Mechanics and Engineering.

Professor Mingfeng Lei

Central South University, China

Vice Dean of the School of Civil Engineering

Mingfeng Lei, born in 1982, holds the title of Postdoctoral Fellow, Professor, and Supervisor of Doctoral and Master’s Students. He graduated from Central South University in 2013 with a doctoral degree, was exceptionally promoted to Associate Professor in 2015, and advanced to Professor in 2020. He currently serves as Vice Dean of the School of Civil Engineering.

His main research focuses on the life-cycle performance evolution mechanism of underground structures and the construction technologies of tunnels and underground engineering under complex conditions. In recent years, he has presided over or participated in more than 40 scientific research projects of various types, won over 20 provincial and ministerial-level scientific and technological awards, published more than 80 academic papers indexed in SCI and EI, obtained more than 30 authorized national patents and software copyrights, and participated in the publication of 5 monographs and teaching materials.

Professor Yao Yu

Changsha University of Science and Technology, China

Young Changjiang Scholar of the Ministry of Education

Yao Yu, a native of Xiangtan, Hunan Province, is currently a professor and doctoral supervisor at the School of Hydraulic Engineering. He has been selected into the "Young Changjiang Scholars" Program of the Ministry of Education and the "Huxiang Young Talents" Program of Hunan Province.

He is mainly engaged in the teaching of undergraduate course "Coastal Dynamics" and postgraduate course "Wave Theory and Its Applications". He has presided over 12 vertical research projects (including 3 projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China), published more than 60 high-level journal papers (with 36 included in SCI), and obtained 8 authorized national invention patents. He won the First Prize of Science and Technology Award of the Chinese Society of Navigation (ranked 1st) and the Second Prize of Marine Engineering Science and Technology Award (ranked 3rd). He was successively awarded the title of "Excellent Teacher" of Changsha University of Science and Technology in the 2017-2018 and 2019-2020 academic years.