After the epidemic, the offline defense meeting is more cherished. Jing Lin , the first doctoral student of our research group, has filed for offline defense, and completed her doctoral thesis defense on the premise of meeting the requirements of epidemic prevention and control.
Defense Time
At 1:00 pm on September 7th, 2020, the defense meeting of Jing Lin’s academic thesis Study on Individual Wayfinding Behavior in Building Fires had officially begun in Nash Meeting Room of Main Western Building in Tsinghua University.
Figure 1. Jing Lin started her doctoral thesis defense
Members of Defense Committee
This defense was presided over by Professor Xinzheng Lu of Tsinghua University, Chairman of defense committee. Professor Zhen Xu of University of Science and Technology Beijing, Associate Research Professor Lilin Rao of Institute of Psychology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Associate Professor Ruimin Li, Hongling Guo and Nan Li of Tsinghua University served as the defense committee members. Assistant Research Professor Jiarui Lin of Tsinghua University served as the Secretary, and the graduate students from research groups of Professor Dongping Fang, Professor Xinzheng Lu, Associate Research Professor Lilin Rao and Associate Professor Nan Li were also at the meeting. More than 20 faculty members and graduate students attended the meeting.
Figure 2. Members of defense committee
The Links of Defense
The whole process of defense was strictly carried out according to the requirements and procedures of defense of graduate thesis of Tsinghua University. Associate Professor Ruimin Li, the representative of sub-committee, announced the name list of Chairman and members of defense committee approved by the Chairman of sub-committee, and Professor Xinzheng Lu, Chairman of defense committee announced the beginning of the defense meeting. Assistant Research Professor Jiarui Lin, Secretary of defense committee, introduced Jing Lin's basic information, including her profile, her academic record after entering the school and other relevant circumstances. Jing Lin reported the main content of the academic thesis, and then the members of defense committee and participants ask questions. Jing Lin answered the questions uniformly after collecting all the questions. After Jing Lin finished answering, the defense meeting was recessed and the defense committee held an internal meeting. Assistant Research Professor Jiarui Lin, Secretary of defense committee, announced the collection of review opinions of peer experts on the academic thesis, and members of defense committee appraised whether Jing Lin reached the academic level of the doctorate in the degree regulations through discussion and voted, discussed and signed defense resolution paper. The defense meeting was resumed, Professor Xinzheng Lu, Chairman of defense committee, announced the voting result and resolution of defense committee, and announced the defense meeting closed.
Figure 3. The process of defense
Introduction of Jing Lin’s Doctoral Thesis
In this thesis, the theoretical framework of individual wayfinding behavior in building fires is established, the influences of all relevant cognitive links and fire stress on individual wayfinding behavior are considered, and the mechanism of individual wayfinding behavior in building fires is clarified from a cognitive perspective; immersive VR-based experimental methods of individual wayfinding behavior in building fires integrating multi-channel sensory stimulation is proposed, a VR-based prototype experimental system including software and hardware is developed, and its feasibility and validity are verified; based on VR experimental data, quantitative models for individual wayfinding decisions in specific building fires considering the mode of stream of people and the influence of cultural background are established; based on meta-analysis, quantitative models for individual wayfinding decision in building fires facing exit signs and other building environmental information are provided; and the micro basis for the crowd evacuation simulations in building fires is provided.
Defense Resolution
Understanding the individual wayfinding behavior in building fires is extremely important to reduce the risk of fire casualties. It is necessary to carry out interdisciplinary research, and the topic selection of the thesis has important theoretical significance and practical value.
The thesis has reasonable structure, clear level, and standard format, meeting the requirements of engineering doctoral thesis, and is an excellent doctoral thesis. The student expressed clearly during the process of defense and the answers were correct. The work of this thesis shows that the author has solid and broad basic theory as well as systematic and in-depth professional knowledge, and has the ability to independently engage in scientific research.
After voting by the members of the defense committee, they unanimously agreed that the thesis defense was passed and proposed to confer Jing Lin a doctorate in engineering.
Words of Jing Lin after the Defense
After Professor Xinzheng Lu, Chairman of defense committee, announced the resolution of defense committee, Jing Lin prepared two bunches of flowers for her advisor, Associate Professor Nan Li and Associate Research Professor Lilin Rao, to thank them for their advisory and support on her research.
Figure 4. A group photo after the defense
Jing Lin’s Profile
Jing Lin was born in 1994. From September 2010 to August 2014, she studied as an undergraduate in Department of Engineering Management of Tianjin University and obtained a bachelor's degree in management. From September 2014 to April 2017, she studied as a graduate student in Department of Construction Management and Real Estate of Tongji University and obtained a master’s degree in management. During her study in Tongji University, she studied for a double degree in management engineering in Polytechnic University of Milan and obtained a master’s degree in science from September 2015 to April 2017. In September 2017, she started her doctoral studies. During her three years as a doctoral student, she achieved fruitful results and completed her doctoral studies with excellent results.
Jing Lin has participated in 2 educational reform projects and 6 scientific research projects (including 1 major project). She has published 6 SCI/SSCI papers as the first author (including the tutor as the first author), 3 SCI/SSCI papers as the second author, and 3 EI papers as the first author (including the tutor as the first author). She participated in the compilation of 1 monograph, applied for or granted 7 patents, authorized 2 software copyrights, and served as the reviewer of 4 SCIE/SSCI journals. She has been selected as the promising academic star of graduate student of Departments of Civil Engineering and Construction Management.
Dr. Jing Lin will soon join the Department of Construction Management of Dalian University of Technology as an Associate Professor, and let’s wish Dr. Jing Lin many great achievements in her new position!
