I began my academic career at the University of Auckland in 2018 as a Lecturer in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, and I was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2022.

I lead the Master of Engineering Studies (Construction Management) programme, direct the Smart Digital Lab (SDL), and serve as the Faculty Co-Champion of the UoA-Trimble Technology Lab.

My research focuses on intelligent infrastructure and digital construction, with a particular emphasis on Building Information Modelling (BIM), Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Extended Reality (VR/AR/MR). My goal is to create a smarter, safer, and more resilient built environment.

Over the past six years, I’ve secured 16 competitive research grants totaling more than NZ$19 million and published over 60 academic papers, which have received more than 1,200 citations. My work has been recognised with several awards, including the New Zealand Chinese Young Scientist Award in 2023 and the Best Paper Award at the CIB World Building Congress 2022.

In addition to my university role, I serve as the President of BIM Education New Zealand (BENZ), Assistant Editor of Construction Innovation, and a Board of Directors member of the Asian Group of Civil Engineering Informatics (AGCEI). I’m also actively involved in the global academic community, serving as Area Chair for ISARC 2023 and 2024, and I regularly review papers for international journals and conferences.

Yang’s recent kōrero