Wei Yan

He specializes in computational methods in architecture, Augmented Reality, AI, Building Information Modeling, parametric modeling, simulation, and optimization. As Principal Investigator, he has led research projects funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and AEC (Architecture/Engineering/Construction) industries. He also co-led DOE, NSF, ASHRAE, etc. projects. Dr. Yan’s research has been recognized through awards such as a Best Paper Award in IEEE Conference on Artificial Intelligence 2025 on spatial intelligence, a Special Mention in the International Conference ReUSO 2024 on Generative AI for the built heritage, two Best Paper Awards in the International Human-Computer Interaction – Learning and Collaboration Technologies Conferences 2024 and 2022, and a Best Paper Prize in the International Conference on Design Computing and Cognition 2006. In 2007, he received an NEH Digital Humanities Start-Up Grant. At Texas A&M University, he was named a Presidential Impact Fellow in 2017 and received the Student Government Association Open Educator Award 2019, Texas A&M University System Patent Award 2023, and Engineering Genesis Award 2024. Dr. Yan received his academic training at the University of California, Berkeley (Ph.D. in Architecture and M.S. in Computer Science), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich (Postgraduate Studies Certificate in Architecture, specialization in Computer-Aided Architectural Design), and Tianjin University (M.E. in Architectural Technology & Science and B.E. in Architecture). In 2012, he was a Guest Scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and a Visiting Professor at Stanford University. He has served in the Board of Directors in the Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture (ACADIA) 2011-2014. His early professional experience includes practicing architectural design at two firms in Tianjin, China.