Tianzhi He

Welcome!

About Me

I am an Assistant Professor in the School of Civil & Environmental Engineering and Construction Management at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio), within the Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design.

My research advances Ambient Intelligence (AmI) for smart built environments by integrating:

• AI agents and large language models (LLMs) for reasoning and decision-making in buildings;
• Wearable and embedded sensing for real-time human state inference;
• Mixed reality (VR/AR/MR) tools for immersive interaction, training, and operations;
• Digital twins to synchronize physical and virtual building systems;
• Human–AI interfaces that are proactive, transparent, and trustworthy.

The overarching goal of my work is to design human-centered, intelligent environments that enhance comfort, well-being, and sustainability in buildings on Earth—and in future space habitats.

I earned my Ph.D. and M.S. in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech, where I was advised by Dr. Farrokh Jazizadeh, and a B.S. in Construction Management from Tongji University, China.

Ambient Intelligence Lab (AmI-Lab)

I direct the Ambient Intelligence Lab (AmI-Lab) at UT San Antonio.
We study how artificial intelligence, embedded and wearable sensing, and mixed reality work together to create human-centric ambient intelligence for smart built environments.

Our work spans:

• Human–Building Interaction
• Large Language Models & AI Agents
• Embedded & Wearable Sensing
• Mixed Reality (VR/AR/MR)
• Digital Twins for Smart Buildings
• Space Habitat Applications

We actively collaborate across disciplines to deliver research that is both academically rigorous and practically impactful.

Join Us

The AmI Lab is recruiting motivated graduate and undergraduate students who are passionate about AI, smart environments, and human-centered design.
Check out the [Join Us] Page for current opportunities and application details.
If you’re interested in working with us, feel free to reach out via email (tianzhi.he@utsa.edu).