Dr. Yichang (James) Tsai, associate professor in School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, was recently named as a Chang Jiang Scholar, China's most prestigious scholarly honor, in recognition of his outstanding research achievements in the application of sensor and information technology to roadway asset condition assessment, preservation, and management.
The Chang Jiang Scholar's award is granted by the Chinese Ministry of Education to acknowledge special contributions made by Chinese scientists and overseas scholars in various research fields. To be considered for this award, the candidate must have achieved outstanding international recognition in his or her field. The Chang Jiang Scholar award is part of an ambitious program initiated by the Chinese government to rapidly develop and improve the quality of research conducted at major research universities in China by collaborating with eminent scientists throughout the world.
"It is, indeed, an honor to be named a Chang Jiang Scholar by China's Ministry of Education," said Tsai. "Roadway asset management is a global subject. With the intensive new roadway construction in China, lots of roadway assets, especially pavements, are fast deteriorating, so there is an urgent need to develop technologies and strategies to cost-effectively preserve and manage roadway assets. Based on the information and sensing technology research I am doing at Georgia Tech, I expect to develop a good deal of synergy between the United States and China in roadway asset management."