CEE alum, a Rossin Doctoral Fellow, is now an assistant professor

Civil engineering alum Suguang (Sean) Xiao ’17 PhD has been appointed as an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Clarkson University. 

While at Lehigh, Xiao was awarded a Rossin Doctoral Fellowship, which provides special preparation for and builds community among PhD candidates considering an academic or related career, according to John Coulter, the Rossin College’s senior associate dean for research. The program is part of the legacy of the late Peter C. Rossin ’48, an entrepreneur in the titanium alloy industry who, with his wife, Ada, established a $25 million endowment for the college in 1998. 

Prior to joining the Clarkson faculty, Xiao served as a research associate at the University of Oklahoma and at Lehigh. In addition to his PhD from the Rossin College, Xiao also holds civil engineering degrees from Tongji University (M.S) and Chang’an University (B.S.).

“Sean was a great student, says Muhannad T. Suleiman, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, who advised Xiao during PhD studies at Lehigh. “He is extremely bright, hard working, rigorous in his thinking, and highly motivated. He has excellent potential to lead and conduct ground-breaking research.” 

Xiao's current research interests include dynamic behaviors of foundations for wind turbines, soil-structure interaction of geothermal energy piles, heat transfer simulation of bridge deicing using geothermal energy, energy storage, and discrete element method simulation of clayey soils. 

He has published in Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, Geotechnical Testing Journal, Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, Soils and Foundations, Journal of the Transportation Research Board, Cold Regions Science and Technology, and Energy and Buildings, among other publications, as well as in conference publications, and conference papers, and technical reports.

Xiao also serves as a reviewer for several national and international journals, including Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, Journal of Cold Regions Engineering, Energy, and Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment.

 
Suguang (Sean) Xiao ’17 PhD

Civil and environmental engineering alum Suguang (Sean) Xiao ’17 PhD has joined the faculty of Clarkson University as an assistant professor.