Faculty Directory

Hu, Ming

Hu, Ming

Associate Professor
Maryland Energy Innovation Institute
Brain and Behavior Institute
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Website(s):

Ming Hu is an Assistant Professor at the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, University of Maryland, USA. She teaches technology courses which focus on the integration of architectural design with structural, materials, and building performance assessment.

She has an extensive background in high-performance building design and life cycle assessment and has engaged in applied building technology research for over 14 years. Her research activities centers on questions of how, and why, sustainable building design and construction affect energy/resource conservation, environmental and human health, and to understand how the (smart) technologies might be employed to reduce the impact from buildings.

Professor Hu has published in over fifty research paper, and has lectured widely in North America, Europe, and Asian. She is a visiting research fellow at the Tampere University in Finland as a Fulbright recipient (2020-21). Her first book, titled Net Zero Building: Predicated and Unintended Consequences, was released in April 2019 through Routledge. Her second book: Healthy Built Environment and Smart technologies was published in September 2020.  

She is the board member of the Architecture Research Center Consortium (ARCC), and the Building Technology Educator Society (BTES).She also served on the National Committee of the International Code Council and on the Maryland Green Building Council.

ARCH 462 – MATERIAL AND METHOD OF BUILDING CONSTRUCTION (Fall 2016, 2017, 2018)

Building Construction methods and materials are examined through case studies to explore the means and techniques applied to the material execution of buildings and BIM (Building Information Modelling). Focus on an understanding of the organization of the design and construction process and awareness of building and zoning codes, material systems and types, as well as sustainable practice.

ARCH 464 – ARCHITECTURE STRUCTURE I (Fall 2016, 2017, 2018)

This course covers the basic principles of architectural structures, including the influence of geometric, sectional, and material properties related to flexure and shear in beam and framed systems; vector mechanics with application to analysis of trusses, catenaries, and arches; diagrammatic analysis of beams for bending moment, shear, and deflection as well as the study of structural framing systems for vertical and lateral loads.

ARCH 465 – ARCHITECTURE STRUCTURE II (Spring 2017, 2018)

This is the second course addressing architectural structures in the architecture program. The subject matter will progress from the material presented in ARCH 464 by investigating the design and analysis of structural systems through load tracing, holistic structural behaviour, the properties and design potentials of various materials, and the relationship between the superstructure and the exterior envelope.

ARCH 688A: Carbon Neutral Development Through Net Zero and Net Impact Building Design  (Spring 2017, 2019, Summer 2018)

Knowledge about the relations between built environment development and global and local challenges, such as climate change, resource depletion, environmental impact, justice and health, is of key importance to move towards sustainable development and resilient built environment. This course takes a trans-disciplinary approach to understanding built environment questions. Urban possibilities and challenges are analyzed by using a systems approach where energy, ecological, social, and economic aspects are integrated through a technologic-ecological perspective. Linkages between and perspectives from engineering, science, social-sciences, and practice are emphasized throughout the course. The course will examine the value and limitations of a series of real world case studies. Students will also have face-to-face collaboration opportunities with international students abroad.

Lighter, Safer and Stronger Batteries Could Power the Smart Devices of Tomorrow

Chemical engineers develop a new technology that could increase energy density and safety of consumer electronics.

Reflecting on 20 Years of Excellence and Innovation

Materials Science and Engineering celebrated its anniversary on November 7, 2023.

UMD Researchers’ ‘Cooling Glass’ Blasts Building Heat Into Space

New Coating Can Be Applied to Various Exterior Surfaces to Reduce AC Use, Fight Climate Change

Wang Develops New Battery Technology That Could Lead to Safer, High-Energy Electric Vehicles

Researchers Develop Way to Prevent Damage That Plagues Next-Generation Lithium Batteries

Hu Develops New Lithium Extraction Technique with Princeton Researchers

This new technology co-developed by Princeton University and University of Maryland could reduce necessary land and time for operations.

Maryland Engineering Ranks Among the Nation’s Top 20 Undergraduate Engineering Programs

The A. James Clark School of Engineering ranks 19 overall among more than 200 undergraduate engineering programs—up three positions from its previous undergraduate ranking.

Transformative Battery Structure Surpasses US’ Fast Charge Goals 

Innovative materials and 3D design published in Nature Materials

Israeli Embassy and BIRD Foundation host UMD Energy Consortium

UMD Professor Paul Albertus a Keynote Speaker

Device That Harvests Water From Air Named Top UMD Invention of the Year

Innovate Maryland event also celebrates work on plastic substitutes, cancer detection, quantum science

Crank Up the AC, Not Global Warming

Maryland engineers advance heating and cooling technology to push for a greener future

Energy Secretary and Maryland Governor visit with MEI2 startups

ARPA-E Summit showcases multiple UMD clean energy technologies

Safe Lithium Batteries Get a Boost

UMD researchers have developed lithium dendrite suppression parameters and electrolytes for longer-lasting batteries that can operate under extreme conditions.

Ten Maryland MSE Faculty Members Ranked in Top 2% of World Scientists

Elsevier releases updated science-wide database

Maryland Engineers Wachsman, Zhao elected Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors

Eric Wachsman and Ji-Cheng “JC” Zhao have been named to the National Academy of Inventors’ (NAI) Class of 2022 Fellows, joining the ranks of some of the nation’s most prestigious and creative academic inventors.

InventWood and UMD Receive $20M ARPA-E SCALEUP Award

UMD exceeds $100M in ARPA-E funding

UMD and NIST develop LEGO-based robots for teaching artificial intelligence

LEGOLAS kit offers autonomous experimentation and learning

"This Is Where It's At"

U.S. Commerce Secretary's Visit Highlights Importance of UMD, Higher Ed to Future of Domestic Electronics Industry

Materials, physics, and systems for multicaloric cooling

UMD’s Ichiro Takeuchi published in Nature Reviews Materials

Dr. Liangbing Hu Winner of R&D 100 Award

Expanded Cellulose Super Ion Conductor Honored

New Energy-Efficient Switches to Aid Quantum Processing and Storage

Next Generation of Data Centers within Reach

MEI2 Director discusses future EV battery tech on Fox29

Eric Wachsman on battery myths and facts

Rethinking the Architecture of Solid-State Batteries: ION Closes $30M Investment Round

Toyota Ventures, Tenaska, and Bangchak Corporation Join Oversubscribed Round Led by Clear Creek Investments, VoLo Earth Ventures, and Alsop Louie Partners

JC Zhao Receives Humboldt Research Award

Materials expert will foster collaboration with Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung.

Engineering a Multi-Element Atomic Arrangement

A novel disorder-to-order transition strategy for ordered nanoparticles published in Science Advances.

Batteries that function in the iciest conditions

CREB held its 2021 fall meeting to discuss battery chemistry designed for super-cold environments.

UMD top ranked U.S. university for solid-state battery research publications

Elsevier study indicates UMD has highest publication citation index globally

UMD-Led Team Wins NSF Award for Rapid Materials Design

The collaborative team receives $1.8 million in funding to develop an integrated framework to drive the rapid design of novel materials for batteries and fuel cells.

Moldable Wood from Water ‘Shock’ Process

A UMD research team has developed a strong yet incredibly flexible wood material that could be used in construction, automotives, and beyond.

Welcome, Samuel Graham, Jr., Dean of Maryland Engineering

When an innovator wanted to engineer a more advanced and equitable society, he chose a research and education powerhouse with global impact, and came to Maryland.

Three Engineers Among 2021-2022 Distinguished Scholar-Teachers

Abshire, Fisher and Hu honored for outstanding success in scholarly accomplishment and excellence in teaching.

Maryland Engineering ranked #12 public undergraduate program in the country

For the third consecutive year, the Clark School's rises in U.S. News & World Report ranking.

UMD Battery Technology Highlighted in Technical.ly

Maryland based battery company bringing UMD tech to market

Building Energy Innovation in Maryland

Engineering Market Momentum

From Innovation to Inauguration

Pines Announces New Quantum Business Incubator, Presents Invention and Entrepreneurship Awards

Clark School Innovators Honored with Invention of the Year Award Nominations

Among the nine 2021 Invention of the Year nominees, four are led by or include Clark School researchers.

UMD Researchers to Design Greener Aircraft Engine

Professors Christopher Cadou and Eric Wachsman are developing a hybrid system for commercial aircraft.

Maryland Graduate Engineering Ranked #10 Public in the Nation

From extreme batteries to windows made from wood, Clark School’s trendsetting work ranks it among the country’s Top 10 public engineering schools for the 3rd consecutive year.

10 Maryland MSE Faculty Members Ranked in Top 2% of World Scientists

Report prepared by Stanford University experts.

Two Maryland Energy Innovation Institute Start-Ups Named to Governor’s Future 20 List

Ion Storage Systems and InventWood hailed as talented innovators

ARL to Fund $30M in Equipment Innovations for Service Members

UMD announces with the U.S. Army Research Lab agreements in additive manufacturing and battery research.

Legacy through Impact: Dr. Darryll J. Pines

UMD President-Designate Darryll Pines inspires a culture of excellence at the Clark School, where everyone plays a part.

MSE Ph.D. Candidate Receives NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

Dylan Kirsch, on track to complete his Ph.D. in 2022, is focused on high-performing thermoelectrics.

UMD Researchers Design ‘Open’ Lithium-ion Battery

The design bolsters both battery safety and performance.

UMD Research Lab Receives ARO Grant to Investigate Reconfigurable Nanoparticle Assemblies

Woehl research group will investigate fundamental aspects of chemical reaction driven nanoparticle assembly processes.

New, superfast method for ceramic manufacturing could open door to AI-driven materials discovery

UMD engineers have reinvented a 26,000-year-old manufacturing process into an innovative approach to fabricating ceramic materials.

Maryland Engineers Open Door to Big New Library of Tiny Nanoparticles

A new study published in Science Advances expands the landscape of nanomaterials, and what we can do with them.

High-performance electrolyte solves battery puzzle

UMD poses answer to making a nanostructured battery: a better electrolyte

Computer-designed nanoparticles could speed us toward hydrogen economy

Mixing the unmixable, scientists create efficient catalyst for hydrogen energy extraction

MSE Ranked #23 by U.S. News and World Report

UMD’s Materials Science and Engineering Department hits #23 in U.S. graduate school rankings – its highest ranking yet.

Additive Manufacturing and Ni-Ti Metal Bolster Cooling Technology

UMD’s Ichiro Takeuchi and team published in Science.

What’s Next for Next-Gen Batteries?

High-energy-density polymeric cathode for fast-charge sodium and multivalent batteries.

Envisioning the Future of Urban Transportation

Could lightweight electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft be a solution for urban congestion?

MSE Graduate Student Racks Up Multiple Honors

Adelaide Nolan recognized by UMD, NSF and Clearwater for her contributions to energy research.

High Temperature Thermal Shocks Increase Stability of Single Atom Catalysts

Multi-institutional study published in Nature Nanotechnology August 12.

'Wood' You Like Some Fresh Water?

New treatment for wood could make a membrane to extract fresh water.

Perfect Quantum Portal Emerges at Exotic Interface

A junction between an ordinary metal and a special kind of superconductor has provided a robust platform to observe Klein tunneling.

Two Clark School Faculty Named Finalists of Prestigious Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists

Hafezi and Hu are among 31 of the nation's rising stars who will compete for three Blavatnik National Awards.

Cooling Wood: An Eco-Friendly Building Material

UMD and Boulder engineers create strong, sustainable solution for passive cooling

Wood-based Technology Creates Electricity from Heat

Briber, Das and Hu make novel heat-conversion membrane

Fluorine "crust" makes powerful, safe battery

UMD engineers create safer, longer lasting and high-capacity solid state battery

What Does a Pair of Dice Have to Do With Disaster Recovery?

Resilience experts use gaming techniques and more to understand utility operator behaviors.

New pyroelectric system transmits power wirelessly, harvesting and storing energy from heat source

This is the first time high-frequency-cycled pyroelectric energy conversion has been successfully combined with the ability to recharge batteries.

Advance could yield safer, longer-range electric car batteries

Chemical engineers pack more energy in same space for reliable battery.

UMD engineers, colleagues work to triple the energy storage of lithium-ion batteries

Researchers have synthesized a new cathode material from iron fluoride that surpasses the capacity limits of traditional lithium-ion batteries.

Clark School Partners with Korea Electronics Technology Institute to Advance Energy Technologies

UMD, KETI announce a five-year partnership to accelerate research and innovation of energy technologies.

A higher-energy, safer and longer-lasting zinc battery

Researchers revive an old chemistry with a new electrolyte.

Four Clark School Professors Receive Competitive DURIP Grants

DURIP supports university research in technical areas of interest to the Department of Defense.

Scientists Mix the Unmixable to Create 'Shocking' Nanoparticles

Researchers are the first to create nanoscale particles composed of up to eight distinct elements generally known to be immiscible.

Clark School Researchers Recognized for Exceptional Inventions

Among the nine 2017 Invention of the Year award nominees, six are led by or include Clark School researchers.

2018 Engineering Sustainability Day

Join us for an energetic discussion!

Strength in Numbers, Especially Family Groups

UMD ChBE researchers develop a cluster of azo materials for use in alkali-ion batteries.

New Fuel Cell has Exceptional Power Density and Stability

Discovery presents a significant step toward lower fuel cell costs and more sustainable energy.

Leite Research Group’s Invited Review Published in ACS Energy

Nanoscale imaging required for next gen energy harvesting and storage systems.

UMD Solar Decathlon Team Takes 1st Place in the U.S., 2nd Place in the World

Team Maryland Wins Silver at the 2017 Solar Decathlon

Catalini and Leininger win 2017 GDF-Suez Chuck Edwards Memorial Fellowships

Fellowships of $25,000 each help fund the students’ research.

University of Maryland School of Engineering Announces Unprecedented Investment from A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation

Building Together: An Investment for Maryland Will Transform UMD Through $219,486,000 Gift

MSE Research Group’s Invited Perspective Published in ACS Energy Letters

Marina Leite and her team offer insight into the future of solar cell technology.

3D-Printed Evaporator is Sustainable Approach to Water Shortage

The evaporator uses solar energy to efficiently purify water.

MSE Researchers Interviewed by Voice of America

Scientists in Liangbing Hu's research group explain novel uses of wood.

A nerve modeled on a battery

NEES PI helps make new organic artificial synapse

Gov Hogan Announces UMD’s Role in $65M Environmental Agenda

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has announced $7.5 million in funding to create the Green Energy Institute.

UMD Researchers Find Ultra-thin Solution to Primary Obstacle in Solid-State Battery Development

Clark School researchers are developing game-changing solid-state battery technology

UMD Receives $1M in Federal Funding to Help Increase Number of Minority Students Graduating with STEM Degrees

Increasing the quantity and quality of underrepresented minority students in STEM.

Daniel Dalgo and Ye Tao Awarded GDF-Suez Chuck Edwards Memorial Fellowships

The fellowships of $25,000 each help to fund the students' research.

Wood Windows are Cooler than Glass

A study by engineers at the University of Maryland shows that natural microstructures in transparent wood are the key to lighting & insulation advantages.

UMD Leads Development of Safer Water-in-Salt Electrolyte Lithium Battery

University of Maryland and US Army Research Lab researchers are spearheading a collaboration to develop a safer and less-costly lithium battery.

Tiny Diamonds Could Enable Huge Advances in Nanotechnology

UMD researchers develop a new method for pairing nanoscale diamonds with other nanomaterials

More Salt, More Power: UMD, ARL Researchers Building Better Batteries

A team of researchers at UMD, ARL, and colleagues have developed a battery that is at once safer, cheaper, more environmentally friendly, and more powerful - by adding a pinch of salt.

UMD Inventors to Change Future of Lithium Ion Batteries

UMD Researchers' Aqueous Electrolytes Nominated for Invention of the Year

A View Through Wood Shows Futuristic Applications

Transparent wood made at UMD could create new windows, cars and solar panels

Scientists blend coinage metals to obtain alloys better than gold

Scientists at the University of Maryland (UMD) have developed a novel method for altering the light reflected or absorbed by a material by match-making combinations of gold, silver, and copper into various mixtures of metals, or alloys.

You’ll Never Be-Leaf What Makes up This Battery

UMD materials scientists bake oak leaf, add sodium to cook up new large-scale battery possibility

Experts available for comment on upcoming Nobels

Lithium-ion batteries and nanowires are candidates for chemistry and physics prizes; UMD scientists can explain importance

New Battery Demonstrates “Sweet Spot” of Electrolyte Thickness and Composition

Atom-scale synthesis makes highly conductive LiPON for solid-state battery

CYC Students Learn About Sustainable Energy

The University of Maryland Center for Young Children (CYC) Tour UMERC

High Energy at Extreme Battery Center’s First Meeting

New research center expands scope and draws regional experts.

Members of NEES Gather for 2015 Spring Accomplishment Meeting

Poster session, in-depth discussions, presentations.... and hiking

Lacey Wins Nat'l Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship

Award supports graduate student’s study of printed and flexible electronics and batteries.

UMD Partners with Army to Launch Extreme Battery Research Center

New center cofounded by ChBE professor Chunsheng Wang.

Pines Recognized with Maryland Speaker's Medallion

Annual award recognizes outstanding service to the state.

Faster Charging Technique Boosts Battery's Capacity

Unique in situ measurement of optical and electrical transport led to discovery.

Hu, Leite Named Outstanding Engineer and Scientist of the Year (VIDEO)

Materials Science professors receive awards from the Md. Academy of Sciences and Md. Science Center.

UMD Clark School to Host Mpact Week: Disaster Resilience

Research showcase to highlight role of engineers in developing innovative solutions to help prevent, mitigate, and respond to disasters.

Room To Move: Spacing Graphite Layers Makes a Better Battery Anode

New process designed to make Na-ion batteries an effective alternative to Li-ion.

DOE Office of Science Well-Funded in FY 2014 Appropriations

Agency's budget as expected -- or higher

Inaugural Mpact Week Showcases UMD Innovations, Robotics, Bioengineering

Over a thousand visit College Park campus for Mpact Week events.  

NSF-Backed DC I-Corps Kicks Off First Cohort with 20 Federal Laboratory, University and Regional Inventors, Entrepreneur Teams

The Silicon Valley-tested, Lean Startup-based initiative is slated to train 300 top entrepreneurial research teams over three years.

Mpact Week to Showcase UMD Robotics, Bioengineering, Innovation, Oct. 23-26

Events will highlight the Clark School's research, education, innovation, and entrepreneurial ecosystem.

UMD Energy Innovations Featured Prominently in the News

Clark School energy research, including solid oxide fuel cells and wood battery, featured in variety of mainstream media outlets.

Meet the Potential Future of Electricity Generation

Redox Power Systems, UMD develop breakthrough fuel cells to provide efficient, affordable electricity.

Taillon Wins NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

Award supports study of silicon carbide for use in efficient, high-powered electronics.

Nano ‘Beads on a String’ Could Advance Battery Technology

Pulsing with lithium, tiny silicon beads on a nanotube hold promise for better batteries

UMD, GWU, and VT Awarded $3.75M by NSF to Launch Regional I-Corps Node for National Innovation Network

Initiative to Train 300 of the Top Entrepreneurial Research Teams from U.S. Universities, Federal Labs

NanoCenter Members Present Papers at Upcoming APS Meeting in Baltimore

Largest physics meeting hosts more than twenty NanoCenter presentations  

Flexible Nanopaper Featured in Chemical & Engineering News

ACS Newsmagazine reports innovation in nanoscale technology

Karki Wins Best Poster, Best Oral Presentation Awards

Grad student awarded top honors at Nanostructures for Electrical Energy Storage meeting.

All-In-One: $300K for Development of Interface-Free Battery

National Science Foundation supports C. Wang's efforts to create a single material for anode, electrolyte, and cathode.

Clark School Students Win National Energy Competition

Mechanical engineering students' air conditioning project takes first place in Department of Energy competition.

UMERC Selected to Showcase Technology at 2011 ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit

University of Maryland Energy Research Center, Dow, Lockheed Martin to be featured at DC Event February 28 - March 2.

Bad Virus Put to Good Use

In breakthrough batteries, virally structured nano-electrodes boost energy capacity 10-fold.

Gerasopoulos Wins Best Poster Award at Micro/Nano Alliance Symposium

Student presents work on microfabricated energy storage devices made with biological templates.

UMD Announces New Cybersecurity Center

Stresses 'more-than-tech' solutions for government and private sectors.

A Longer Life for Lithium Ion Batteries

Wang, Guo create longer-lasting electrode using 3D polymer structure, silicon nanoparticles.

New Battery Research Highlighted by Discovery News, Nanowerk

Viruses used as structural template for lithium ion battery components.

Calabrese Spends Sabbatical with DOE, Nuclear Waste Consortium

Professor consulted on safe handling of industrial, nuclear waste materials.

Cumings Receives DOE Grant to Study Thermal Resistance of Carbon Nanotubes

New modes of energy transfer could enable next-generation heatsink, heat exchange materials.

Alumnus Wins World Nuclear University Fellowship

Quynh Nguyen (Ph.D. '03, chemical engineering) attends Summer Institute at Oxford.

Cumings Leads EFRC Nanowire Team

Research designed to increase effectiveness of lithium ion batteries.

NanoCenter Improves Energy Storage Options

Maryland NanoCenter researchers create new device to store electrical energy.

Günther Scherer: Electrochemical Energy Devices to a Sustainable Mobility

Scherer gave an overview of his work in developing sustainable transportation alternatives.

Stuart Licht: "Powering Tomorrow Towards a Sustainable Energy Future"

Part of the Continuing Transforming Energy Lecture Series