Wen Zhang, Ph.D., earned a doctorate degree in computational mathematics from Shanghai University in 2009, a second master’s degree in applied math at Michigan Technological University in 2012, and postdoctoral training in machine learning research at Baylor College of Medicine, Texas, in 2013.

Since 2012, Zhang has been conducting research on artificial intelligence (AI) models in medical research and their applications, and since 2013, publishing papers in computational sciences and related fields. Current research focuses on AI-driven applications utilizing real-world big data, particularly in urban planning and transportation resilience.

He is collaborating with Serenna Hoermann Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, and director of the Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions, and Serena Hoermann, Ph.D., assistant director, Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions, in Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, to develop AI-powered tools that empower urban planners, transit authorities and policymakers to make more sustainable decisions across the nation.

Zhang said he is also committed to incorporating virtual reality to engage communities in long-term planning for sea-level rise.