| Faculty Advisor |
Dr. Yunping Liang
|
|---|---|
| Contact Email | yliang17@unl.edu |
| Advisor College: |
Engineering
|
| Potential UCARE Research Position? |
Yes! Student(s) must apply to UCARE by February deadline.
|
| Paid or Volunteer |
Paid by UCARE Stipend
|
| Hours Per Week |
10-20
|
Position Description
Transnational mega infrastructure, such as the Gordie Howe Bridge between the U.S. and Canada, serves far more than functional roles. These projects shape local, regional, and national economies, environments, and societies. Because of these wide-ranging impacts, researchers have increasingly examined how the transportation sector aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including how the goals appear in standards and rating systems across jurisdictions. However, little work shows how SDGs actually materialize within a specific project. This gap is even more pronounced in transnational megaprojects, where SDG priorities often diverge. Yet project success depends on collaboration and strategic alignment across borders. How do countries achieve this? How do they maintain unique priorities while pursuing shared goals? Exploring these questions not only advances global SDG coordination but also reveals how diverse actors manage a single megaproject: balancing collective ambitions with individual needs.
Faculty Advisor Mentoring Philosophy
For me, UCARE is about giving undergraduate students a gentle, well-supported introduction to real-world professional work and research. In my lab, all undergraduates are official members with full status, just like graduate students. This means they have access to all available resources, receive the same (and sometimes additional) mentoring, and participate fully in lab activities, professional development opportunities, and more.
Undergraduates, like everyone else in the lab, are independent contributors: they earn credit for their work and share responsibility in ongoing projects. Don’t worry - expectations are always aligned with experience. There are no rigid deliverables for undergraduates, but the standards of rigor and professional ethics remain the same for all.
And last (maybe I’m repeating myself), but it truly matters: communication, communication, communication!