Principal Investigator
Dr. Zheng O’Neill （邓峥）
Dr. O’Neill is J. Mike Walker ’66 Associate Professor at J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering in Texas A&M University at College Station, Texas. She was previously an Associate Professor at The University Of Alabama between 2013 to 2019. From 2006 to 2013, she was a Principal Investigator at United Technologies Research Center (UTRC), East Hartford, Connecticut, where she was responsible for the development and field-implement of advanced building optimal controls, building performance monitoring, energy diagnostics and low energy/net zero energy buildings. She was with Cimetrics in Boston as an Energy Analyst from 2005 to 2006. Originally from China, Dr. O’Neill received her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the Building and Environmental Thermal Systems Research Group at Oklahoma State University in 2004, and is a registered Professional Engineer. She has led or been involved with proposals leading to external research awards totaling over $27.11 million since 2014, and has over 160 journal and conference papers published. She is an ASHRAE Fellow and IBPSA Fellow. She was a member of IBPSA–USA Board of Directors from 2011 to 2013. Currently, she is the Vice Chair of ASHRAE TC 7.5 Smart Building Systems, and is on the Editorial Board of Journal of Building Performance Simulation & an Associate Editor of Science and Technology for the Built Environment.
Dr. O’Neill is J. Mike Walker ’66 Associate Professor at J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering in Texas A&M University at College Station, Texas. She was previously an Associate Professor at The University Of Alabama between 2013 to 2019. From 2006 to 2013, she was a Principal Investigator at United Technologies Research Center (UTRC), East Hartford, Connecticut, where she was responsible for the development and field-implement of advanced building optimal controls, building performance monitoring, energy diagnostics and low energy/net zero energy buildings. She was with Cimetrics in Boston as an Energy Analyst from 2005 to 2006. Originally from China, Dr. O’Neill received her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the Building and Environmental Thermal Systems Research Group at Oklahoma State University in 2004, and is a registered Professional Engineer. She has led or been involved with proposals leading to external research awards totaling over $27.11 million since 2014, and has over 160 journal and conference papers published. She is an ASHRAE Fellow and IBPSA Fellow. She was a member of IBPSA–USA Board of Directors from 2011 to 2013. Currently, she is the Vice Chair of ASHRAE TC 7.5 Smart Building Systems, and is on the Editorial Board of Journal of Building Performance Simulation & an Associate Editor of Science and Technology for the Built Environment.
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Zheng O’Neill, PhD, PE
J. Mike Walker ’66 Associate Professor
J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering
Texas A&M University
Mechanical Engineering Office Building (MEOB) 326
College Station, TX, 77843
Ph: 979-845-4931 | Email: ZOneill@tamu.edu
Research Associate
Zhiyao Yang, Research Engineer III
- Ph.D., Purdue University
- M.S., Purdue University
- B.S., Shanghai Jiao Tong University
- Research Projects: Thermal Storage, Heat Pump System, Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings
Mingzhe Liu, Postdoctoral Researcher
- Ph.D., The University of Tokyo
- M.S., The University of Tokyo
- B.S., Harbin Institute of Technology
- Research Projects: Heat Pump System, Modeling and Optimization, Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings
Graduate Student
Caleb Calfa, Ph.D. Student
- B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Michigan State University
- Research Projects: Heat Pump System, Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings
Guowen Li, Ph.D. Student
- B.S., Civil Engineering, Tongji University
- Research Projects: Modelling and Optimization, Model Predictive Control, Cyber-physical Security, Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings
Thomas Firsich, M.S. Student
- B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University
- Research Projects: Smart and Connected Homes, Grid-interactive Heat Pumps
Mingjun Wei, Ph.D. Student
- B.S., Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Davis
- Research Projects: Building Resilience
Youngsik Choi, Ph.D. Student
- M.S., Architectural Engineering, Seoul National University
- B.S., Architectural Engineering, Seoul National University
- Research Projects: Building Decarbonization, Optimization-based HVAC Controls
Yuhang Zhang, Ph.D. Student
- M.S., Civil Engineering, Tongji University
- B.S., Civil Engineering, Tongji University
- Research Projects: Artificial Intelligence, District Heat Pump Systems
Mingyue Guo, Ph.D. Student
- M.S., Civil Engineering, Tongji University
- B.S., Civil Engineering, Chongqing University
- Research Projects: Model Predictive Control, Deep Reinforcement Learning, Optimization
Nathaniel Smith, M.S. Student
- B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University
- Research Projects: Heat Pump Systems, Adsorption
Hang Guan, Ph.D. Student
- M.S., Civil Engineering, Tongji University
- B.S., Civil Engineering, Zhengzhou University
- Research Projects: Heat Pump Systems, Adsorption
Jonathan Maxwell, M.S. Student
- B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University
- Research Projects: Intelligent Controls of Water Heater
Undergraduate Student
Hunter Simon
- Research Project: Smart and Connected Homes
Matthew Frazier
- Research Project: Energy Resilience
Alumni
Fan Feng (2023)
- Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University
- M.S., Civil Engineering, Tongji University
- B.S., Civil Engineering, Tongji University
- Thesis – Dynamic Building Envelope with Phase Change Material (PCM) and Multi-layered Fenestration Using Model Predictive Controls
Tao Yang (2023)
- Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University
- M.S., Civil Engineering, Tongji University
- B.S., Architectural Engineering, Central South University
- Thesis – Investigations on Benefits of Energy, Cost, and Comfort for Residential HVAC Systems with Adaptive Model-Predictive Control
Blake Smith-Cortez (2023)
- M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University
- B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University
- Thesis – Demonstrations of Geofencing Occupancy-Based Control in Smart and Connected Homes
Mengyuan Chu (2023)
- M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University
- M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Syracuse University
- B.S., Civil Engineering, Chongqing University
- Thesis – A Maximum-impact Adversary Design for Network-based Control Systems in Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings
Timothy Wagner (2023)
- B.S., Texas A&M University
- Research Project: Smart and Connected Homes
Chelsea LaSalle (2023)
- B.S., Texas A&M University
- Research Project: EnergyPlus Modeling
Marcos Figueroa-Casas (2023)
- B.S., Texas A&M University
- Research Project: Smart and Connected Homes
Arkasama Bandyopadhyay, Research Assistant Professor (2022)
- Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin
- B.S., Oklahoma State University
- Research Projects: Ground Source Heat Pump System, Smart Building Service
Yangyang Fu, Research Engineer III (2022)
- Ph.D., University of Colorado Boulder
- M.S., Tongji University
- Research Projects: Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings, Advanced Control, Fault Detection and Diagnostics
Zhihong Pang (2022)
- Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University
- B.S., Architectural Engineering, Tongji University
- Thesis – Development, Quantification, and Demonstration of Occupant-Centric Controls for Smart and Healthy Buildings
Angelo Casale (2022)
- Undergraduate student in Architectural Engineering, Texas A&M University
- Research Projects: Heat Pump System, Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings
Xing Lu (2022)
- Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University
- M.S., Energy and Power Engineering, Tongji University
- B.S., Architectural Engineering, Tongji University
- Thesis – Development and Evaluation of High-Performance HVAC Control Sequences for Variable Air Volume (VAV) System
Astrid Doennem (2021)
- B.S., Architectural Engineering, Texas A&M University
- M.S., Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
Ben Cottrell (2020)
- M.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of Alabama
- Thesis – Using Cooling Tower Data to Model the Best Approach Temperature
Aaron Henry (2020)
- M.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of Alabama
- Thesis – Development of A Hardware-in-the-loop Framework with Modelica for Energy Efficient Buildings
Yanfei Li (2018)
- Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, University of Alabama
- Thesis – An Innovative Fault Analysis Framework to Enhance Building Operations
Zhengwen Hao (2018)
- M.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of Alabama
- Thesis – Model-based Estimation on Building Envelope Infiltration
Fuxin Niu (2017)
- Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, University of Alabama
- Thesis – Uncertainty Quantifications and Operation Optimization of Buildings as Virtual Batteries for the Grid with High Penetrations of Renewables
Defeng Qian (2017)
- Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, University of Alabama
- Thesis – Solar Powered Ground Source Heat Pump Systems
Liu Liu (2016)
- M.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of Alabama
- Thesis – Energy Modeling and Calibration of a Mixed-use Building with Laboratories, Offices and Classrooms