Marquette’s Opus College of Engineering welcomes three new engineering faculty this month. The colleagues represent an incoming wave of teacher-scholars to support Marquette’s educational and research missions in the Opus College. Learn more about each faculty member below.
Dr. Ying Fang
Assistant professor of biomedical engineering in the Marquette University and Medical College of Wisconsin Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering
Dr. Ying Fang previously served as an assistant professor of physical therapy at Rosalind Franklin University. Her research focuses on improving mobility and physical function among clinical populations and older adults through rehabilitation engineering and biomechanics. Fang will teach biomedical engineering students in their biomechanics laboratory courses.
What inspired you to pursue a career in biomedical engineering?
Fang: I have always been interested in human movement and the physics behind it. Biomedical engineering allows me to understand how muscles and joints work together to produce motion and how engineering solutions, such as assistive devices, can improve mobility for people with movement limitations. The discipline combines my personal interests with the opportunity to positively impact other people’s lives, and I’m thrilled to share that passion with the next generation of biomedical engineers.
Dr. Zihao “Scott” Li
Assistant professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering
Dr. Zihao Li previously served as a postdoctoral researcher and lecturer in transportation engineering at Texas A&M University. His research focuses on transportation safety, operations, and resilience, with particular emphasis on AI-infused transportation systems. By connecting social, cyber and physical dimensions, his work examines how future mobility systems can operate safely and reliably, adapt to changing conditions and respond effectively to disruptions. Li will teach students across civil, construction, and environmental engineering, particularly in civil and transportation engineering courses.
What inspired you to pursue a career in civil engineering?
Li: I was inspired by how directly civil infrastructure shapes people’s daily lives. Modern civil engineering extends beyond designing and building physical systems; it increasingly draws on diverse areas, including advanced technology, human behavior and public policy. I wanted a career in which I could bring these perspectives together to improve daily mobility and solve practical problems for communities.
Dr. Payman Zarkesh-Ha
V. Clayton Lafferty Endowed Chair in Electrical Engineering and professor of electrical and computer engineering
Dr. Payman Zarkesh-Ha previously served as professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of New Mexico. His research focuses on microelectronics and VLSI system design and modeling, and he holds over twenty patents in his field. Zarkesh-Ha will teach electrical and computer engineering students in their advanced electronics courses.
What inspired you to pursue a career in electrical and computer engineering?
Zarkesh-Ha: I’ve always been fascinated by how things work and by the possibility of turning scientific ideas into technologies that can make a real impact. Electrical and computer engineering gave me the opportunity to combine my curiosity, creativity and love of problem-solving with research and innovation. What has kept me passionate about engineering throughout my career is the opportunity to keep learning, work on challenging problems, collaborate with talented colleagues and students, and share that excitement with the next generation of engineers.
