FULLY FUNDED PH.D. POSITION IN ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING
The Laboratory for Healthy, Environmental, and Resilient Buildings (HERB-Lab) at the Department of Civil,
Environmental, & Architectural Engineering (CEAE) at WPI (PI: Nancy Ma, PhD) seeks highly motivated
graduated students in pursuing innovative research in board areas of architectural engineering, building
science/technology, energy modeling, building data analytics, occupant-centric building design and operation.
One fully funded Ph.D. position is available at Prof. Ma’s lab in Fall 2025. Candidates are expected to work
with faculty within and outside the department to develop cross-disciplinary research and, in the case where an
ongoing research program is in place, contribute to the accomplishment of specific project objectives.
RESEARCH TOPICS
HVAC engineering, control, and smart operation
Climate change and environmental health
Modeling and optimization of urban energy systems
Occupant behavior modeling and simulation
Remote sensing, spatial analysis and modelling
QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in mechanical, civil, architectural engineering, environmental
science, data science, or a related discipline
Programming experience or willingness to learn Python, R, MATLAB, or other languages
Familiarity with EnergyPlus, GIS (Esri), CFD, Grasshopper, or other modeling techniques
Research or publication experience will be a bonus but is not required
Effective communication skills, strong acadernic writing, self-motivation, and a strong work ethic
ABOUT PI
Prof. Ma is an Assistant Professor of Architectural Engineering at WPI. Her research agenda follows two complementary tracks: the human dimensions of building performance (health, resilience, energy) and the environmental and climate costs of buildings at personal, building, and city levels. This involves understanding the role of information technologies, Al, sensors, networks, and other computational tools in the planning and development of buildings and cities. She completed her PhD in Building Technology at the University of Pennsylvania in 2022 and holds a Master of Architecture and a Bachelor of Environments from the University of Melbourne, Australia. For further information, please refer to HERB-Lab website: https://herb-lab.org/
ABOUT WPI
WPI’s award-winning, project-based, and globally engaged curriculum encourages students to solve scientific, technological, and societal problems-both on campus and at more than 50 project centers worldwide. WPI has recently completed a $17 million renovation of the department’s building, along with the construction of a
new academic building that offers additional space for architectural engineering. Consistently ranked among
the top national universities and in the top 50 most innovative universities by U.S. News & World Report, WPI
is a private technological university and one of the nation’s first. Worcester is a growing hub of scientific and
technological innovation, located just about an hour west of Boston.
Apply
Motivated candidates are encouraged to contact Prof. Ma (nma1@wpi.edu) with the subject line “HERB-Lab
PhD Application”. Candidates can provide a brief overview of their research background, CV, unofficial
transcript, and one selected publication (if applicable). Please visit https://www.wpi.edu/admissions/graduate
for more information of applying to WPI.