Jiarui Lei, Gary

Biography

Jiarui “Gary” Lei is an assistant professor whose research focuses on environmental fluid mechanics, flow-vegetation interaction, and nature-based solutions for coastal protection. He earned his Ph.D. from MIT in Civil and Environmental Engineering in 2019 and holds B.S. degrees from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. His work encompasses a range of projects, from exploring wave attenuation over aquatic vegetation to advancing hybrid solutions for coastal protection and employing enhanced machine-learning techniques for underwater flow prediction. Lei’s research not only contributes to the academic field but also has significant implications for environmental sustainability and the protection of coastal communities. For more detailed information, please visit his website at www.garylei.com.

Qualifications

• Ph.D., Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2019
• B.S., Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, 2014
• B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 2014

Career History

• Assistant Professor, National University of Singapore, 2021 – present
• Visiting Lecturer, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 2020 – 2021
• Postdoctoral Associate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2019 – 2021

Awards

• College Educator Award AY2024/2025

Professional Services

• AGU Global Engagement Committee

Teaching

• CE2134 Fluid Mechanics
• CE5308A/QA Coastal Processes and Protection
• CE5317B/QB Nature-based Solutions to Coastal Protection

Publications (since 2023)

Author names with an underscore are the adviser’s students or postdocs. 

1. 1. Sreeranga, S., Song, S., Mak, N. W. J., Todd, P. A., & Lei, J. (2026). Wave-Induced Swaying of Rhizophora Mangle Saplings and Implications for Hybrid Coastal Protection. Coastal Engineering, 104950.
   2. Wang Y.,  Zeng X., Lu, Y., & Lei, J. (2025). Vegetation Layouts Influence the Spatial Uniformity of Wave Attenuation: Laboratory Insights. Coastal Engineering, 104937.
   3. Sreeranga, S., & Lei, J. (2025). Evaluating Portable Reef for Mangrove Sapling Protection: An Experimental Study Using Live Mangroves. Coastal Engineering, 104903.
   4. Xie, Y., & Lei, J. (2025). Laboratory Investigation of Solitary Wave Interactions with Mangrove Seedlings in Hexagonal Planters. Coastal Engineering, 104858.
   5. Xu, Z., & Lei, J. (2025). Reconfiguration and hydrodynamic forces on flexible vegetation under orthogonal wave–current conditions. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 1021, A51. 
   6. Wang Y., & Lei, J. (2025). Wave attenuation in a partially vegetated flume. Limnology and Oceanography, 70(5), 1375-1385.
   7. Liang, X., Wang, Y., & Lei, J. (2025). The evolution of hydrodynamic intensities and sediment erosion along submerged aquatic vegetation. Water Resources Research, 61(3), e2024WR038311. 
   8. Xu, Z., & Lei, J. (2024). Wave decay by submerged rigid vegetation under orthogonal wave-current conditions. Geophysical Research Letters, 51, e2024GL110408. 
   9. Sun, H., You, Y., & Lei, J. (2024). Deflection and drag on flexible marine structures in steady currents and internal solitary waves. Physics of Fluids, 36(10).
   10. Huang, S., Xia, J., Wang, Y., Wang, G., She, D., & Lei, J. (2024). Pollution loads in the Middle-Lower Yangtze River by coupling water quality models with machine learning. Water Research, 122191.
   11. Gong, S., Xu, S., Yin, K., Chen, Y., Chen, J., & Lei, J. (2024). Experimental study on wave attenuation and cross-shore profiles by submerged flexible vegetation. Ocean Engineering, 307, 118218.
   12. Huang, S., Xia, J., Wang, Y., Lei, J., & Wang, G. (2024). Water quality prediction based on a sparse dataset using enhanced machine learning. Environmental Science and Ecotechnology, 100402. 
   13. Huang, S., Xia, J., Wang, G., & Lei, J. (2023). The impact of flood regime on river floodplain vegetation coverage: insights from a 30-year Landsat record. Journal of Hydrology, volume 626, part B, 2023.
   14. Lei, J., Schaefer, R., Colarusso, P., Novak, A., Simpson, J. C., Masqué, P., & Nepf, H. (2023). Spatial heterogeneity in sediment and carbon accretion rates within a seagrass meadow correlated with the hydrodynamic intensity. Science of The Total Environment, 158685.