Biography
Nan Hu is currently a full professor at the Department of Civil Engineering and associate dean (undergraduate studies and global relations) at South China University of Technology, China. Prior to this position, he was a tenure-track assistant professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geodetic Engineering at the Ohio State University, USA. His Versatile Structures Lab focuses on the multidisciplinary front of innovative structures and materials, particularly tailoring the design and characterization of modular architected materials to achieve programmable properties and functionalities for next-generation resilient and adaptive structures in a wide range of length scales. He has published over 80 journal papers and 30 patents. He is actively involved with ASCE and has served on five different technical committees.
Education
EDUCATION Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Civil Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, U.S.A.2015 Concentration: Structural Engineering, Mechanics & Materials Advisor: Prof. Rigoberto Burgueño Dissertation: Tailoring the elastic postbuckling response of thin-walled axially compressed cylindrical shells
Master of Science (M.Sc.), Engineering Mechanics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, U.S.A.2014 Concentration: Applied Mathematics, Solid and Structural Mechanics (Course Option)
Master of Engineering (M.Eng), Civil Engineering (with honor), Central South University, Changsha, China 2010 Concentration: Bridge EngineeringAdvisor: Prof. Gonglian Dai
Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng), Civil Engineering (with honor), Hunan University, Changsha, China2007 Concentration: Bridge EngineeringAdvisor: Prof. Banfu Yan
ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS Associate Dean (Undergraduate Studies and Global Relation), South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China2023 – Present Chair, South China University of Technology, Department of Civil Engineering, Guangzhou, China 2022 – 2023 Professor, South China University of Technology, Department of Civil Engineering, Guangzhou, China 2020 – Present Assistant Professor (Tenure-track), Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, U.S.A.2017 – 2020 |
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Research Areas
Structures are all around us at multiple length scales, ranging from the magnificent Eiffel Tower to a biomedical robot that can deliver drugs inside your body. Advanced structural design and fabrication is a pressing necessity as we entered a new era of increased demands on products with versatility like the Swiss Army knife that can handle multiple tasks. This implies that the future of structural design is to discover new classes of geometric forms whose properties can be tailored for improved performance and multi-functional features.
The Versatile Structures Lab led by Prof. Nan Hu is thus motivated to push the boundaries of the emerging extreme mechanics movement by exploiting geometric forms and their mechanical performance with the aim of developing innovative materials, devices and systems at various length scales. We are dedicated to define a future frontier of structural engineering by demonstrating how this discipline can go beyond the traditional task of designing large-scale structures and move into a holistic interdisciplinary platform.
Core directions: 1. Data-driven structural design and manufacturing 2. High-performance structures with tailorable properties 3. Adaptive structures toward complex environments
Broader Interests: 1. Stretchable, wearable or implantable electronics 2. Multifunctional soft robots 3. Self-assembly of materials and devices 4. Active and responsive materials
Lab Website：https://www.x-mol.com/groups/vsl Bilibili：https://space.bilibili.com/2040235889 ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3536-8414 ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nan_Hu11 Google Scholar: http://scholar.google.com/citations?user=zCPL0F0AAAAJ&hl=en
Courses Taught
Teaching is my passion. I chose to pursue a career in academia because I enjoy making a life-long impact on the lives of students. I love the quote by William Arthur Ward that states: “ The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires .” My favorite moment in teaching is when former students came to my office and acknowledged my support and inspiration after the completion of the course. Those moments always remind me that the top priority of being a teacher and an educator is helping students succeed.
My teaching philosophy develops collectively as my career moves on and my professional identity grows. Throughout my graduate studies and postdoctoral experience, I have built a strong teaching record with a variety of roles, including teaching assistant, guest lecturer, and mentor. In this process, I have benefited from observing the professors that I’ve had who embraced the teacher-scholar model, which involves students in project-based research while learning in their courses. They promote state-of-the-art developments in the field, incorporated advanced knowledge into their teaching activities, and eventually help students gain better insights by participating in research. Thus, I am also interested in pursuing my career with a holistic teaching-scholarship approach.
Now, as a faculty member at South China University of Technology, my goal of teaching future generation engineers is to improve both their technical and professional skills through coursework and co-curriculum projects. I will promote interdisciplinary knowledge and encourage teamwork. My teaching method emphasizes: (1) the presence of “the big picture”; (2) the quality of teacher-student interaction; and (3) the efficiency of examinations. I will keep demonstrating such beliefs and goals in my teaching and mentoring journey as an instructor at SCUT.
See our Nature Career Column about Vlog with students: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-02935-x
South China University of Technology Spring 2020 Theoretical Mechanics Autumn 2020-2025 Mechanics of Materials Autumn 2023-2025 Design and Fabrication of Architected Materials Autumn 2023-2025 Introduction to Civil Engineering Autumn 2024-2025 Intelligent Structural Design Studio Autumn 2023-2025 3D Printing Workshop
The Ohio State University Autumn 2018-2019 CIVILEN 3310, Structural Engineering Principles Autumn 2017, Spring 2019 CIVILEN 5162, Introduction of Laminated Composite Materials Guest Lecturer ARCH 5590 Topics in Building Technology Spring 2018 CIVILEN 5880 - Civil Engineering Seminar Spring 2018 OSTEP Fellow University Center for the Advancement of Teaching Autumn 2018 UITL Teaching Endorsement Program (Course Design) Summer 2018 Faculty Foundation, Impact, Transformation (FIT) program
Dartmouth College Teaching Assistant 2015 - 2016 ENGS 15: Undergraduate Investigations in Engineering ENGS 21: Introduction to Engineering; Instructor: Prof. Ulrike G.K. Wegst Guest Lecturer ENGS 2: Integrated Design: Engineering, Architecture, and Building Technology ENGS 142: Intermediate Solid Mechanics
Michigan State University Teaching Assistant 2011 - 2015 CE221 Statics; Instructor: Prof. Gilbert Y. Baladi
Selected Publications
- Kang, Lan;Du, Wenjie;Hu, Nan;Liu, Xinpei;Sun, Wei;Yuan, Lijun,Effects of heat-affected zone on cyclic behaviour of laser-cladding-produced stainless-clad bimetallic steels,Thin-Walled Structures,2026
- Li, Jiachen;Feng, Yuliang;Chen, Shufan;Chen, Ruizhi;Ma, Ruiqi;Xiong, Lu;Hu, Nan,On-demand curvilinear extrusion-based robotic arm printing enabled by tunable surfaces of elastic gridshell base,Additive Manufacturing,2025
- Zhu, Lu;Lin, Yangsheng;Ma, Ruiqi;Li, Jiachen;Yin, Meishan;Li, Yunquan;Zhao, Dongdong;Hu, Nan*,Tailoring cell geometry and assembly of modular origami tube for programmable biaxial response under static and impact loads,Extreme Mechanics Letters,2025
- 张园;杜涛;宋丹青;林福生;胡楠;虞将苗,废塑料干法改性对沥青混合料抗裂性能影响及其机理分析,材料导报,2025
- 胡楠,Exploiting meta-aggregate in functional composites for a balanced permeability and strength trade-off,Construction and Building Materials,2025
- Liang, Chuanwei;Liu, Jiayang;Lin, Shikun;Gao, Yunlong;Zou, Xun;Wang, Wenqi;Chen, Fangyu;Hu, Nan;Li, Yunquan;Zhang, Yuan-Fang,3D-Printed Shape-Memory Polymer-Based Variable-Stiffness Origami Actuator for Multimodal Soft Continuum Robots,ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces,2025
- Li, Binbin;He, Hucheng;Xuan, Kai;Fu, Juan;Zhang, Jian;Yao, Xianhua;Hu, Nan,Sustainable designs and multifunctional fusion of contemporary power plant buildings: case studies in Southern China,Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering,2025
- 胡楠,Minimizing manufacturing-induced response uncertainty of extrusion-based architected lattice under compression,Progress in Additive Manufacturing,2025
- Gan, Zhantu;Mao, Weining;He, Qianpeng;Tang, Hao;Wang, Yifan;Hu, Nan,Failure mechanism and tunable mechanical responses of structured fabrics,Composites Communications,2025
- Xie, Binglin;Huang, Huansheng;Jigu, Xuemei;Huang, Liangyu;Cai, Jinchi;Zhang, Haiyan;Hu, Nan,Static and impact response of meter-scale architected lattice-reinforced cementitious composite beams,Engineering Structures,2025
- Zhang, Qi;Li, Xiaozhong;Lin, Chusen;Jin, Peng;He, Qi;Hu, Nan;Zhou, Binzhen,Experimental study on the combined effects of geometric asymmetry and partial reflection wall on the power performance of a wave energy converter,Energy,2025
- 项聪;王怡;罗家祥;胡楠,高深知识视域下大学深度学习课堂构建探索与实践,高等工程教育研究,2025
- Zhao, Haiyang;Zha, Qian;Ma, Ruiqi;Ma, Wenqian;Zhang, Ao;Zhang, Yuan;Hu, Nan,Exploiting meta-aggregate in functional composites for a balanced permeability and strength trade-off,Construction and Building Materials,2025
- Yao, Xianhua;Liu, Ke;Dong, Qing;Li, Xuanyou;Ma, Chunfeng;Hu, Nan,Tunable and recoverable energy absorption of foam-embedded architected cellular composite material at multiple strain rates,Composite Structures,2024
- Chen, Baixi;Mao, Weining;Lin, Yangsheng;Ma, Wenqian;Hu, Nan*,Manufacturing-induced stochastic constitutive behaviors of additive manufactured specimens: testing, data-driven modeling, and optimization,Rapid Prototyping Journal,2024
- Yao, Xianhua;Dong, Qing;Li, Xuanyou;Hu, Nan*,Design and Characterization of Architected Cellular Composite Material Embedded with Strain Rate Dependent Foam,2024
- Xie, Binglin;Tian, Ruitong;Zhao, Haiyang;Ye, Tongtong;Zhang, Yuan;Hu, Nan,Controlling crack propagation in layered beams with architected lattice-reinforced composite interlayer designs,Construction and Building Materials,2024
- Zicheng Zhuang;Fengming Xu;Junhong Ye;Nan Hu;Liming Jiang;Yiwei Weng,Author Correction: A comprehensive review of sustainable materials and toolpath optimization in 3D concrete printing,npj Materials Sustainability,2024
- Lin, Yangsheng;Zhu, Lu;Chen, Yimu;Wu, Kai;Xiong, Lu;Hu, Nan,An enhanced spatial extrusion method to manufacture large-scale thermoplastic lattice structures,Additive Manufacturing,2024
- Hu, Nan;Block, Philippe;Carstensen, Josephine;Zhang, X. Shelly;Feng, Peng;Ng, Ching Tai,Editorial for special issue on additively manufactured structures,Engineering Structures,2024
- Wang, Xinwei;Zhao, Yinghao;Wang, Zhihao;Hu, Nan*,An ultrafast and robust structural damage identification framework enabled by an optimized extreme learning machine,Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing,2024
- Ma, Wenqian;Dong, Qing;Zhao, Haiyang;Li, Xuanyou;Xiong, Lu;Hu, Nan,Mechanics-guided manufacturing optimization framework to enhance the strength of architected lattice made from recycled plastic wastes,Additive Manufacturing,2024
- Cheng, Jianfeng;Yao, Xianhua;Zhang, Zhipeng;Tan, Yizhong;Hu, Nan;Ma, Chunfeng;Zhang, Guangzhao,Intelligent anti-impact elastomers by precisely tailoring the topology of modular polymer networks,Materials Horizons,2024
- Li, Zhixiong;Ye, Tongtong;Li, Xuanyou;Dong, Qing;Zha, Qian;Hu, Nan,Influence of Manufacturing Factors on the Mechanical Properties of 3D-Printed Soft Architected Composite,2024
- Yao, Xianhua;Zhao, Haiyang;Ma, Ruiqi;Hu, Nan*,Manipulating localized geometric characteristics in multistable energy-absorbing architected materials,Thin-Walled Structures,2024
- Cheng, Jianfeng;Yao, Xianhua;Zhang, Zhipeng;Tan, Yizhong;Hu, Nan;Ma, Chunfeng;Zhang, Guangzhao,Intelligent anti-impact elastomers by precisely tailoring the topology of modular polymer networks,Materials Horizons,2024
- Li, Zhixiong;Xie, Chengshuang;Li, Feng;Wu, Di;Hu, Nan,Heterogeneous geometric designs in auxetic composites toward enhanced mechanical properties under various loading scenarios,COMPOSITES COMMUNICATIONS,2023
- Xie, Binglin;Yao, Xianhua;Mao, Weining;Rafiei, Mohammad H.;Hu, Nan*;Xie B.;Yao X.;Mao W.;Rafiei M.H.;Hu N.*,High-efficient low-cost characterization of composite material properties using domain-knowledge-guided self-supervised learning,Computational Materials Science,2023
- Xie Binglin;Li Xinyue;Zhao Xinyu;Hu Nan,Tunable properties and responses of architected lattice-reinforced cementitious composite components induced by versatile cell topology and distributions,Composite Structures,2023
- Li Zhixiong;Xie Chengshuang;Li Feng;Wu Di;Hu Nan,Heterogeneous geometric designs in auxetic composites toward enhanced mechanical properties under various loading scenarios,Composites Communications,2023
- Su, Chaohao;Yuan, Meiqin;Fan, Yi;Zhu, Lu;Hu, Nan,Parametric design and modular construction of a large additive-manufactured hypar shell structure,Architectural Intelligence,2023
- Ye, Xijun;Cao, Yongjie;Liu, Airong;Wang, Xinwei;Zhao, Yinghao;Hu, Nan,Parallel convolutional neural network toward high efficiency and robust structural damage identification,Structural Health Monitoring,2023
- Liu Tianchang;Gan Zhantu;Yin Yiwei;Zhao Dongdong;Hu Nan,Modular shape-switching architected materials toward programmable acoustic properties,Extreme Mechanics Letters,2023
- Chen, Man;Yao, Xianhua;Zhu, Lu;Yin, Meishan;Xiong, Yan;Hu, Nan,Geometric design and performance of single and dual-printed lattice-reinforced cementitious composite,CEMENT & CONCRETE COMPOSITES,2023
- Xie, Binglin;Li, Xinyue;Zhao, Xinyu;Hu, Nan,Tunable properties and responses of architected lattice-reinforced cementitious composite components induced by versatile cell topology and distributions,Composite Structures,2023
- Li, Zhixiong;Liu, Pan;Chen, Baixi;Ye, Tongtong;Zhang, Yuan-Fang;Hu, Nan,Influence of manufacturing factors on compressive behavior of soft architected composite with a 3D-printed cellular core,Mechanics Research Communications,2023
- Leong, Zee;Chen, Rongsheng;Xu, Zijie;Lin, Yangsheng;Hu, Nan,Robotic arm three-dimensional printing and modular construction of a meter-scale lattice facade structure,Engineering Structures,2023
- Peng, Shan;Xie, Binglin;Wang, Yanlei;Wang, Mi;Chen, Xiaoxin;Ji, Xiaoyu;Zhao, Chenyang;Lu, Gang;Wang, Dianyu;Hao, Ruiran;Wang, Mingzhan;Hu, Nan;He, Hongyan;Ding, Yulong;Zheng, Shuang,Low- grade wind- driven directional flow in anchored droplets,Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,2023
- Yu, Chi;Xie, Binglin;Yao, Xianhua;Hu, Nan;Guo, Jianhua;Jiang, Xinghua;Smith, Andrew T.;Sun, Luyi,Cabbage-like flexible fluororubber/carbon aerogel hybrids with negative Poisson's ratios and excellent microwave absorption,Matter,2023
- Yao, Xianhua;Chen, Man;Zhao, Junxian;Zhang, Yunlan;Hu, Nan,Tailoring plastic deformation of metallic architected materials toward multi-stage energy dissipations,Materials and Design,2022
- Ding, Yang;Huang, Xixian;Zhang, Hui;Ma, Jianhong;Li, Feng;Zeng, Qingyi;Hu, Nan;Wang, Yongdong;Dai, Zhongran;Ding, Dexin,Coupled variations of dissolved organic matter distribution and iron (oxyhydr)oxides transformation: Effects on the kinetics of uranium adsorption and desorption,Journal of Hazardous Materials,2022
- Zhang, Daobo;Meng, Xinmiao;Hu, Nan;Feng, Peng,Experimental study on loading-induced power generation decline of component-level flexible solar cells,Thin-Walled Structures,2022
- Liu, Pan;Mao, Weining;Yin, Yiwei;Gan, Zhantu;Zhao, Dongdong;Hu, Nan,Jigsaw-Inspired Modular Architected Materials with Tailorable Stiffness and Programmable Reconfiguration for Adaptive Flow Regulations,Advanced Engineering Materials,2022
- Yao Xianhua;Chen Man;Zhao Junxian;Zhang Yunlan;Hu Nan,Tailoring plastic deformation of metallic architected materials toward multi-stage energy dissipations,Materials & Design,2022
- Zhang Daobo;Meng Xinmiao;Hu Nan;Feng Peng,Experimental study on loading-induced power generation decline of component-level flexible solar cells,Thin-Walled Structures,2022
- Jian, Si-Min;Wu, Bo*;Hu, Nan,Environmental impacts of three waste concrete recycling strategies for prefabricated components through comparative life cycle assessment,Journal of Cleaner Production,2021
- Wan, Guangchao;Cai, Yijie;Liu, Yin;Jin, Congran;Wang, Dong;Huang, Shicheng;Hu, Nan;Zhang, John X. J.;Chen, Zi,Bistability in popper-like shells programmed by geometric defects,Extreme Mechanics Letters,2021
- Jian Si-Min;Wu Bo;Hu Nan,Environmental impacts of three waste concrete recycling strategies for prefabricated components through comparative life cycle assessment,Journal of Cleaner Production,2021
- Zhao, Yinghao;Joseph, Amal Jerald Joseph;Zhang, Zhiwei;Ma, Chunping;Gul, Davut;Schellenberg, Andrew;Hu, Nan,Deterministic snap-through buckling and energy trapping in axially-loaded notched strips for compliant building blocks,Smart Materials and Structures,2020
- Zhang, Zhiwei;Pusateri, Simon;Xie, Binglin;Hu, Nan,Tunable energy trapping through contact-induced snap-through buckling in strips with programmable imperfections,Extreme Mechanics Letters,2020
- Ma, Chunping;Zhang, Zhiwei;Luce, Benjamin;Pusateri, Simon;Xie, Binglin;Rafiei, Mohammad H.*;Hu, Nan*,Accelerated design and characterization of non-uniform cellular materials via a machine-learning based framework,npj Computational Materials,2020
- Zhang, Zhiwei;Luce, Benjamin;Ma, Chunping;Xie, Binglin;Hu, Nan,Programmable origami-inspired cellular architected building blocks for flow-regulating adaptive weir,Extreme Mechanics Letters,2020
- Wang, Huajie;Zhang, Zhiwei;Qian, Hongliang;Liu, Yulin;Hu, Nan;Fan, Feng,Galvanic corrosion induced localized defects and resulting strength reduction of circular steel tubes under axial compression: An experimental study,Thin-Walled Structures,2020
- Huajie Wang;Zhiwei Zhang;Hongliang Qian;Yulin Liu;Nan Hu;Feng Fan,Galvanic corrosion induced localized defects and resulting strength reduction of circular steel tubes under axial compression: An experimental study,Thin-Walled Structures,2020
- Zhiwei Zhang;Simon Pusateri;Binglin Xie;Nan Hu,Tunable energy trapping through contact-induced snap-through buckling in strips with programmable imperfections,Extreme Mechanics Letters,2020
- Wan Guangchao;Cai Yijie;Liu Yin;Jin Congran;Wang Dong;Huang Shicheng;Hu Nan;Zhang John X.J.;Chen Zi,Bistability in popper-like shells programmed by geometric defects,Extreme Mechanics Letters,2020
- Zhiwei Zhang;Benjamin Luce;Chunping Ma;Binglin Xie;Nan Hu,Programmable origami-inspired cellular architected building blocks for flow-regulating adaptive weir,Extreme Mechanics Letters,2020
- Chunping Ma;Zhiwei Zhang;Benjamin Luce;Simon Pusateri;Binglin Xie;Mohammad H. Rafiei;Nan Hu,Accelerated design and characterization of non-uniform cellular materials via a machine-learning based framework,npj Computational Materials,2020
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