Infrastructure and Environmental Systems, Ph.D.

Engineering Technology and Construction Management: Dr. Yu Hou is seeking to recruit 1-2 Ph.D. students for Spring or Fall 2027 to join his research group. The selected students will work on state and federal funded research related to building energy performance and audits, Scan2UBEM, construction robots and their applications. The RA positions are expected to include a stipend, tuition support, and health insurance.

Applicants must be highly self-motivated and passionate about new and emerging technologies and hold a master’s degree in engineering, computer science, industrial and systems engineering, construction management, civil engineering, or a closely related field. Interested applicants should email Dr. Hou (yu.hou@charlotte.edu). Additional information can be found in this PDF File. (Posted June 1, 2026)

Engineering Technology and Construction Management: Prof. Xuyang Li (xuyang-lx.github.io) is seeking a Ph.D. student to begin in Spring or Fall 2026 within the Ph.D. program in Infrastructure and Environmental Systems (INES). Students will work with Prof. Li on topics at the intersection of AI and engineering, including Scientific Machine Learning and Applied AI for Engineering Systems, Structural Health Monitoring, and Reinforcement Learning for Dynamical Systems.

Applicants should hold or be expected to hold a B.S. or M.S. in civil, mechanical, computer science, or a closely related field. Strong programming ability and a demonstrated interest in the intersection of AI and engineering are preferred. Interested students are encouraged to email xuyang.li@charlotte.edu with the subject line “PhD Application – Your Name,” and include a CV, transcripts and a brief statement of research interests. International applicants should also include TOEFL scores. (Posted September 4, 2025)

Industrial and Systems Engineering: Dr. Fenglian Pan’s research group in the Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte is seeking two highly motivated Ph.D. students to begin in Spring or Fall 2026.  The selected candidate(s) will work with Dr. Pan in one of the following areas: (1) Uncertainty-Aware Digital Twin for AI System Reliability Analysis; (2) Multi-Sensor, Multi-Source, and Muti-Modal Data Fusion for System Informatics; (3) Large-Scale Spatiotemporal Network Modeling and Analysis. Candidates with B.S. or M.S. degrees in Engineering, Statistics, Computer Sciences, or a closely related field are encouraged to apply.  Experience and skills in programming and data mining are preferred.  

 All full-time doctoral students receive robust financial assistance, including comprehensive tuition awards and health benefits, allowing you to focus entirely on your studies. Highly qualified students admitted to full standing can competitively apply for graduate assistantships (GAs), which include teaching or research roles. A standard GA package provides health benefits and tuition remission, while partial GAs offer proportional benefits based on negotiated weekly hours. To supplement these awards, the Graduate School offers separate fellowships, and faculty members frequently provide up to full-time employment for summer research. 

To secure funding, applicants should contact the INES Program Director or reach out directly to faculty members to discuss available positions.