Dr. Qiuhua (Lisa) Duan

Education

• Ph.D., Architectural Engineering, Pennsylvania State University
• Ph.D., Disaster Prevention and Reduction Engineering and Protective Engineering, Tongji University
• M.S., Hydraulic Structural Engineering, Guangxi University
• B.S., Water conservancy and hydropower engineering construction, Guangxi University

Biography

Dr. Duan’s educational background includes a B.S. and M.S. in Hydraulic Structure Engineering from Guangxi University in China, a Ph.D. in Disaster Prevention and Reduction Engineering and Protective Engineering from Tongji University in China, and a Ph.D. in Architectural Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University in the USA. Throughout her academic career, she has taken on the role of primary investigator (PI) for a project supported by the National Science Foundation of China and two projects funded by the Guangxi Science Foundation in China. Additionally, she has actively participated in two projects funded by the National Science Foundation of the US. With regard to research contributions, she has published over 40 peer-reviewed research articles and served as a committee chair for 15 master’s students.

Dr. Duan’s areas of interest and expertise primarily revolve around the sustainable built environment, focusing on topics such as building energy, building performance, building envelopes, human indoor comfort, smart materials, and the safety of large-scale structures. Her research goal is to implement and develop innovative advanced materials and technologies to create solutions for energy efficiency and human comfort problems in architectural engineering and resilient community. Her research is centered on the development of sustainable and intelligent buildings, with a specific emphasis on achieving energy-efficient building envelopes. This involves reducing energy consumption related to heating, cooling, ventilation, and lighting, while simultaneously enhancing indoor environmental quality and occupant comfort.

Honors and Awards

• The 2nd place winner of the Graduate Collegiate Competition of the Society of Women Engineers, 2019.
• The 3rd place winner of the Graduate Collegiate Competition of the Society of Women Engineers, 2020.
• Outstanding Student Award in Architectural Engineering, Penn State University, 2021.
• Borda Graduate Scholarship in Honor of Gifford H. Albright Scholarly Excellence Award, Penn State University, 2021.
• Marlene & Joseph Borda Architectural Engineering Graduate Fellowship, Penn State University, 2021.
• John and Barbara Yellott Award, American Solar Energy Society, 2021.