Joey Yang

Joey Yang is a Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA), serving as Associate Director of the Alaska University Transportation Center and Director of the Geotechnical and Frozen Ground Engineering Research Laboratory. His expertise spans geotechnical and earthquake engineering with a focus on cold regions, including permafrost dynamics, infrastructure resilience, and de-icing technologies. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis, and a B.S. from Chengdu University of Science and Technology.

Education:

• Ph.D., Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Davis
• B.S., Hydraulic Engineering, Chengdu University of Science and Technology

Research Interests: Dr. Yang's work addresses geotechnical challenges in cold regions, including permafrost thaw, seismic site response, frozen soil-pile interaction, and fungal mycelium-based biofoams for insulation. His research is funded by NSF EPSCoR, USGS, USDOT, and others.

Professional Contributions:

• Chief Editor, ASCE Journal of Cold Regions Engineering
• Editorial Board Member, Cold Regions Science and Technology
• Keynote/Theme Session Speaker at International Permafrost and Earthquake Conferences

Awards:

• Arctic Kicker Prize (2015)
• Outstanding Reviewer Awards (2010, 2014)
• ASTM Technical Editors Award (2014)

Advising & Grants: Dr. Yang has advised over 20 visiting scholars and secured multi-million-dollar grants for cold regions infrastructure research. His lab focuses on advancing technologies for permafrost engineering, seismic resilience, and sustainable construction.

Labs/Teams: Leads the Geotechnical and Frozen Ground Engineering Research Laboratory, collaborating with global partners on cold regions challenges.