October 18, 2025
Jidu has officially obtained his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). At the HKUST Congregation on 18 October 2025, he was hooded on stage by his supervisor, Prof. Jidong Zhao.
His doctoral research, “Multiscale Modeling of Coupled Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical Behavior in Granular Media”, developed novel material point method (MPM) algorithms and coupled MPM-DEM models for complex thermo-hydro-mechanical problems. The work addresses geotechnical and geological hazards driven by climate change, in particular permafrost thaw and gas hydrate dissociation, with important implications for permafrost stability and methane hydrate extraction.
Jidu is deeply grateful to Prof. Zhao for his invaluable mentorship, guidance and encouragement throughout this journey, to his thesis committee members for their constructive feedback and support, and to his family and friends for their unwavering belief in him.
After graduation, Jidu continued at HKUST as a postdoctoral researcher before joining Prof. Kenichi Soga’s group at UC Berkeley, where he continues to advance computational geomechanics toward a more sustainable and resilient future.
Special thanks to Mr. Zhuo (Andy) Liu for capturing these wonderful photos.
