About me

Hey, there! My name is Li Ai. I am a Research Assistant Professor at the University of South Carolina. I am currently working at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Civil&Environmental Engineering, and the McNAIR Aerospace Center. I received my PhD from the University of South Carolina in 2021 under the supervision of Dr. Paul Ziehl. I received my Master from Stevens Institute of Technology in 2016 under the supervision of Dr. Marcus Rutner and Dr. Sohphia Hassiotis.

Research interests

My research interests include:

  • Nondestructive testing (NDT)
  • Structural health monitoring (SHM)
  • Acoustic emission (AE)
  • structure strengthening and rehabilitation
  • Bridge load rating
  • AI for science/engineering
  • Cyber-physical systems
  • Digital twins.

My recent works include:

  • Digital twin for concrete bridges
  • Cost-effective strengthening methods of bridge slab/girder
  • AE source localization using deep learning
  • Transfer learning framework combining finite element simulation and domain adaptation
  • Real-time AE monitoring system for alkali-silicate reaction (ASR) damage in concrete
  • AE monitoring method applied to stress corrosion cracking in nuclear spent fuel storage systems
  • Low-velocity impact monitoring framework for urban air mobility

Recent News

  • Oct, 2024. I was appointed as an editorial board member for the ASTM Journal of Testing and Evaluation
  • Oct, 2024. I received the IOP Publishing Top Cited Paper Award North America.
  • Dec, 2023. I was appointed as an early career editorial board member for the Structural Durability & Health Monitoring
  • Nov, 2023. I was appointed as an editorial board member for the Civil Engineering Journal.
  • Oct, 2023. I was appointed as a young academic editor for the Journal of Traffic and Transportation Engineering.
  • May, 2023. I was appointed as a youth editorial board member for the Journal of Intelligent Construction
  • Apr, 2023. I was appointed as an associate editor for the ASCE Journal of Structural Design and Construction Practice.
  • May, 2022. I won the paper competition at AEWG63 and received the Adrian Pollock Student Award.