The award ceremony of the 16th China Youth Science and Technology Award was held on October 18 at the World Young Scientist Summit 2020 in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province. A total of 100 young scientists who have made remarkable achievements in in science, engineering technology, science popularization and technology transfer were awarded the China Youth Science and Technology Award. Professor ZHANG Dongmei from the College of Civil Engineering of Tongji University was among them.

Professor ZHANG wins the Award

Professor ZHANG Dongmei, born in 1975, is currently the Director of the Institute of Tunnel and Underground Engineering of Tongji University and a distinguished professor at Tongji. She was selected as the science and technology innovation leading figure of the national "Ten Thousand People Plan", the young and middle-aged science and technology innovation leading talent of the Ministry of Science and Technology, the science and technology talent of Shanghai Society of Civil Engineering, and a core member of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge research team of Tongji University, and was elected as one of the 2018 Persons of the Year for Shanghai Education. She was also conferred with the title of "Women Pacesetter for Achievements" of Shanghai. In addition, Professor ZHANG won the first prize for Science and Technology Progress Award of Shanghai as the first project accomplisher, and as a main member won one second prize for National Science and Technology Progress Award and two first prizes of Science and Technology Progress Award of the Ministry of Education.

Professor ZHANG Dongmei

Professor ZHANG has been engaged in the research of shield tunnels in soft soil for a long time and made a series of innovation achievements in safety evaluation and performance control of tunnel structures. She proposed the analytical theory for the evolution of tunnel structures in a complex environment, solved problems hindering reasonable forecast of long-term settlement of shield tunnels under the condition of water leakage, and suggested the dynamic evaluation method for structural safety of shield tunnels in soft soil in China. Her research has improved the accuracy of the vulnerability assessment, enhanced the diagnosis of tunnel defect causes and performance forecasts of tunnels, made break-through in repair and control technologies of transverse deformation and longitudinal settlement of tunnels, and systematically resolved key technical difficulties such as evaluation, prediction and effective controls of the safety of tunnel structures, which has already delivered sound environmental, economic and social benefits. Professor ZHANG has published more than 140 papers in prestigious Chinese and international journals, edited one guidebook and published one monograph, participated in editing three industry norms, developed a software, and had more than 10 invention patents.

Professor ZHANG at the project site

Professor ZHANG is currently the Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of Risk and Insurance Research Branch of China Civil Engineering Society and the Director of China Civil Engineering Society. She also serves as a member of International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering and a member of the editorial board for Hazard Control in Tunnelling and Underground Engineering.

The China Youth Science and Technology Award was jointly launched by the Organization Department of the Central Committee of CPC, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, China Association for Science and Technology, and the Communist Youth League Central Committee with the aim of commending young scientists and engineers who have made outstanding  contributions to national economic development, social progress and technological innovation, igniting passions for innovation and entrepreneurship in young scientists and technologists, and cultivating world-class leading scientists and technologists with strategic thinking.

Source: https://news.tongji.edu.cn/info/1003/75346.htm