Biography
Dr. Yufeng Dong joined Juniata College as a faculty member in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in 2025. He earned his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where his research focused on high-speed railway dynamics and soil–structure interaction using advanced numerical modeling techniques such as the Domain Reduction Method (DRM) and Perfectly Matched Layer (PML).
Before joining Juniata, Dr. Dong served as a Postdoctoral Scholar at UCLA, contributing to the Seismic Design of Buried Structures Crossing Highways (BSCH) project. His work involved developing and validating finite element models for the seismic performance of large-span underground structures, including tunnels and culverts. His research has been published in leading journals and presented at national and international conferences.
At Juniata, Dr. Dong teaches a range of foundational and specialized courses in civil and environmental engineering, including statics, structural analysis, mechanics, and computational modeling. His teaching emphasizes critical thinking, hands-on learning, and connecting engineering theory with real-world applications.
Dr. Dong’s professional interests include vehicle- bridge interaction, numerical analysis, seismic design of infrastructure, soil–structure interaction, and engineering education. He is passionate about mentoring students, promoting inclusive learning environments, and integrating research-based approaches into undergraduate engineering education.
Outside of academics, Dr. Dong enjoys outdoor activities, exploring local structures, and collaborating on interdisciplinary projects that bridge structural analysis and engineering design.