Prof. Hongjian Liao received her Master of Engineering degree from Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology in 1987, and her Doctor of Engineering degree from Tokai University in 1996. She is the Director of the Institute of Ecological Geotechnical Engineering and Human Settlement Environment Innovation at Xi’an Jiaotong University, and the Dean of the Department of Civil Engineering at Xi’an Jiaotong University. Her research areas include geotechnical mechanics, engineering, and engineering geology.