Email
hou@wpi.edu
Office
Higgins Labs 209
Phone
+1 (508) 8315705
Education
MS California Institute of Technology 1985
PhD California Institute of Technology 1990
It has been a great pleasure to teach at WPI, a school with motivated students from all over the world. I am teaching engineering mechanics related course such as ES2501 (Statics), ES2502 (Stress Analysis), ES2503 (Dynamics), ES3011 (Control Engineering), ME4506 (Vibrations), ME4512 (Finite Elements) at the undergraduate level and ME522 and ME593V (Mechanical Vibrations), ME593M (Numerical Methods for Engineers), ME527 (Advanced Dynamics), and ME531 (Elasticity Theory) at the graduate level. I share the happiness when the students can apply the learned knowledge in their projects and research. I understand the frustration when the students suffer in the learning process and always try my best to help. I like to challenge my students to their maximum ability. I would like to make sure that my students can get their needed apples on a tree but they must jump. I view the teaching is a control process and welcome questions from my students for the valuable feedback.
Research Interests
Engineering mechanics
Dynamics and vibration
Structural health monitoring and control
Random vibration and structural reliability
Numerical methods including finite element analysis
Scholarly Work
A Computational Scheme for the Optimal Sensor/Actuator Placement of Flexible Structures Using Spatial H2 Measures
Stochastic Models for Disordered Periodic Processes and Their Applications
Shinde, A. and Hou, Z. (2005). A Wavelet Packet Based Sifting Process and Its Application for Structural Health Monitoring, Structural Health Monitoring, 2(4), pp. 153-170.
Hou, Z., Hera, A., and Noori, M.,“Wavelet-Based Techniques for Structural Health Monitoring,” a book chapter in Health Assessment of Engineered Structures: Bridges, Buildings and Other Infrastructure. (in press)
Professional Highlights & Honors