I am Zhanyu, but please feel free to call me Grace. I am a PhD civil engineering student at Virginia Tech, specializing in the field of geotechnical engineering.
Before coming to Virginia Tech, I studied undergraduate civil engineering at the University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada (class of 2011). After graduating, I worked as a developer and engineering intern for 3 years at Rocscience Inc., a software company that develops geotechnical applications. My passion for the field grew from my experiences there. It was exciting to work with clients from around the world to solve problems using numerical models, and I knew I wanted to pursue a related graduate research degree.
I obtained my Master’s in geotechnical engineering at Virginia Tech (class of 2015). During my graduate studies, I worked on research related to the numerical modelling of column-supported embankments. I am continuing this project for my PhD research.
I would like to work as a geotechnical consultant after graduating. Eventually, I would like to both work in the industry and lecture at a higher institution. I think students will benefit from the theoretical as well as practical knowledge.
I am from Toronto, Canada. Interests include piano performance of the classical genre, reading, and eating foods of different cultural origins.