Lily Wang

Contact Information:

City Campus (Lincoln) / Scott Campus (Omaha)
PKI 100B (Scott Campus)
KH A405Z (City Campus)
(402) 554-2065 (Scott Campus)
(402) 472-8897 (City Campus)
lilywang@unl.edu
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Director, Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction
Charles W. and Margre H. Durham Distinguished Professor

Academic Degrees

  • Ph.D. in Acoustics, Pennsylvania State University
  • B.S.E. in Civil Engineering with Certificate in Architecture, Princeton University

Certifications

  • PhD, PE, INCE Board Certified, FASA

Recent News

As Director of the Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction, I am excited to be working with our faculty, staff, students, and alums to improve the design, construction, and operation of buildings and other infrastructure, with increasing focus on high-performance infrastructure, sustainability, occupant comfort and well-being, and/or safety.

The Winter 2021 issue of Acoustics Today (published by the Acoustical Society of America) includes an "Ask An Acoustician" essay that features my career and work, arranged by Associate Editor Micheal Dent.

Get an inside look at the Nebraska Acoustics Group Lab (PKI Room 210) and Acoustics Testing Chamber (PKI Room 131) through this virtual tour of the UNL Architectural Engineering Program!  To experience the 360 video fully, access it through the YouTube app on your mobile device, or on Firefox or Chrome web browsers.

Experience

Academic Appointments:
  • Director, Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction (2021-present)
  • Associate Dean for Faculty and Inclusion, UNL College of Engineering (2018-2021)
  • Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Faculty Development, UNL College of Engineering (2013-2018)
  • Professor, Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction (2013-present)
  • Program Coordinator, Architectural Engineering (2010-2013)
  • Graduate Committee Chair, Architectural Engineering (2010-2013)
  • Associate Professor, Architectural Engineering (2006-2013)
  • BS/MAE Program Officer, Architectural Engineering (2005-2009)
  • Assistant Professor, Architectural Engineering (2000-2006)
Professional Affiliations:
Acoustical Society of America (ASA): Fellow (2007-present) ASHRAE Institute of Noise Control Engineering (INCE)
  • INCE Board Certified (2006-present)
American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE)
Society of Women Engineers (SWE)

Areas of Research and Professional Interest

Research Profiles:

Courses Taught

About Lily Wang

Dr. Lily Wang is the Charles W. and Margre H. Durham Distinguished Professor of Engineering and Technology, and Director of the Durham School of Architectural Engineering and Construction in the College of Engineering at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Her primary research interests are in room acoustics and noise control.  Her research group's work on human perception and performance in noise, classroom acoustics, uncertainty in acoustic measurements, and room acoustics computer modeling has been funded by AHRI, ASHRAE, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Institute of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the Veneklasen Research Foundation.  

Dr. Wang is a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA); Board-Certified by the Institute of Noise Control Engineering; a Professional Engineer licensed in Acoustics through the state of Oregon; and a recipient of the ASA Hunt Postdoctoral Fellowship, ASA R. Bruce Lindsay Award, NSF CAREER Award, and ASHRAE Ralph G. Nevins Physiology and Human Environment Award.  
She has also received a number of teaching and mentoring awards, including the ASA Student Council Mentoring Award. She has served as ASA President (2018-19),  Vice-President (2015-16) and Chair of the its Technical Committee on Architectural Acoustics (2004-07). 

Honors and Awards

National:
  • SWE Magazine 'Women Engineers You Should Know' (2023)
  • ASHA Editor’s Award (2020) – given to the most impactful works published in ASHA Journals that meet the highest quality standards in research design and presentation: Peng, Z. and L. M. Wang. (2019) “Listening Effort by Native and Non-native Listeners due to Noise, Reverberation and Talker Foreign Accent during English Speech Perception” J. Speech, Language, and Hearing Research 62, 1068-1081.
  • Acoustical Society of America Student Council Mentoring Award (2015)
  • ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer (2012-16)
  • ASHRAE Ralph G. Nevins Physiology and Human Environment Award (2012)
  • ASHRAE Distinguished Service Award (2012)
  • Girls Preparatory School (GPS) Margaret Rawlings Lupton Award of Excellence (2009)
  • Elected to Fellowship in the Acoustical Society of America (2007)
  • Acoustical Society of America R. Bruce Lindsay Award (2005)
  • National Science Foundation CAREER Award (2002-07)
  • Acoustical Society of America F.V. Hunt Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (1999)
University:
  • Charles W. and Margre H. Durham Distinguished Professor of Engineering and Technology, UNL College of Engineering (2021-present)
  • UNL Architectural Engineering Student Leadership and Advisory Committee (AESLAC) Award for Extracurricular Support (2014)
  • UNL AESLAC Mentoring Award (2015, 2013, 2009, 2006)
  • UNL AESLAC Teaching Award (2012)
  • UNL University Distinguished Teaching Award, joint with College of Engineering Holling Family Master Teacher Award (2012)
  • UNL College of Engineering Holling Family Senior Distinguished Teaching Award (2011)
  • UNL College of Engineering Holling Family Distinguished Teaching/Advising/Mentoring Award (2009)
  • UNL College of Engineering Faculty Service Award (2009)
  • UNL Architectural Engineering Directors Award (2009)
  • Vranek Distinguished Scholar: UNL College of Engineering Endowed Professorship at the Associate Level (2008-11)
  • UNL Excellence in Graduate Education Award (2006)
  • UNL College of Engineering Faculty Fellow Award (2005-07)

Funding

Selected Publications

Refereed Journal Papers:
Refereed Conference Proceedings:

Recent Presentations

  • Caldas, F., F. T. De Cillo, S. H. Underwood, S. Kumar, E. V. Celeri, B. Masiero, and L. M. Wang (2023) “Measurements of classroom acoustic conditions in which young neurodiverse persons learn in Sao Paulo and Nebraska” J. Acs. Soc. Am. 153, A129.
  • Krapfl, B. R., J. M. Epstein, S. H. Underwood, and L. M. Wang (2023) “Informing the acoustical privacy of mothers’ rooms with measurement data” J. Acs. Soc. Am. 153, A220.
  • Underwood, S. H. and L. M. Wang (2023) “Quantifying repeatability, reproducibility, and bias in sound power level measurement methodologies via a round-robin study” J. Acs. Soc. Am. 153, A182. Young Presenter Award in Noise.
  • Weeldreyer, G. S., Z. E. Peng, L. M. Wang and G. C. Stecker (2023) “Quantifying the impact of hearing aid microphone placement and head mounted devices on binaural cues from head-related transfer functions” J. Acs. Soc. Am. 153, A161.
  • Wang, L. M. (2023) “Links Between Indoor Acoustic Conditions and Human Well-Being and Performance” Keynote Speaker at Healthy Buildings 2023, Aachen, Germany.
  • Wang, L. M. (2023) “Seminar 36 Healthy K-12 Schools: Correlations from a Cumulative Model That Includes Acoustic, Lighting, Indoor Air Quality, and Thermal Comfort Conditions and Student Achievement” ASHRAE Winter Conference; Atlanta, GA; 4-8 February 2023.
  • Hintz, D., L. M. Wang, and Z. E. Peng (2022). “Spatial release from masking in anechoic and reverberant environments” J. Acs. Soc. Am. 152, A211. Student Paper Award in Architectural Acoustics, 2nd Place.
  • Wang, L. M. (2022) “Broadening participation in acoustics: Personal reflections and pathways forward” Keynote Speaker at 183rd Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, Nashville, J. Acs. Soc. Am. 152, A53.
  • Caldas, F., B. Maseiro, and L. M. Wang (2022). “How Classroom Acoustic Conditions May Impact Autistic Students: A Review” Inter-Noise 2022, Glasgow, UK, Glasgow, UK.
  • Underwood, S. and L. M. Wang (2022). “An Inter-laboratory Study to Quantify the Repeatability, Reproducibility, and Bias of Sound Power Measurement Methods” Inter-Noise 2022, Glasgow, UK.
  • Wang, L. M. (2022) “Linking Indoor Acoustic Conditions to Human Well-Being and Performance”. Keynote Speaker at Inter-Noise 2022, Glasgow, UK.
  • Wang, L. M. (2022). “Relationships between Acoustics, Thermal, Indoor Air Quality, and Lighting Conditions on Student Achievement in K-12 Classrooms” Inter-Noise 2022, Glasgow, UK.
  • Wang, L. M. (2022) “Tactics Implemented at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln for Growing Inclusive Excellence in Engineering” Inter-Noise 2022, Glasgow, UK.
  • Anderson, V. R., G. C. Stecker, and L. M. Wang (2021). “Acoustic effects of face masks on speech: Impulse response measurements between two binaural mannikins” J. Acs. Soc. Am. 150, A248.
  • Krapfl, B., J. Palakapilly, L. M. Wang, and G. Scott (2021). “Insight on the acoustics in restaurants from combined analyses of logged sound levels, occupancy, and customer responses” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 150, A161.
  • Underwood, S. and L. M. Wang (2021). “Applications of Building Information Modeling Software to HVAC Noise Prediction” J. Acs. Soc. Am. 150, A101.
  • Paine, J. and L. M. Wang (2021) “Studying acoustical capacity and quality of verbal communication in occupied restaurants” Internoise 2021, 1645-1651.
  • Wang, L. M. (2021) “Links Between Indoor Acoustic Conditions and Human Comfort and Performance” Invited Lecture for EE 838 Course, University of Campinas, Brazil; June 30, 2021.
  • Wang, L. M. (2021) “Restaurant Acoustics Panel Discussion” Invited panelist, Spanish-Speaking Acousticians in the Americas Chapter of the Acoustical Society of America; May 14, 2021.
  • Wang, L. M. (2020) "Relationships between Acoustic and Other Indoor Environmental Conditions on Student Achievement in Primary and Secondary Classrooms" Keynote Speaker at 1st Biennial International Conference on Acoustic and Vibration.
  • Wang, L. M. (2020) "The Acoustic Experience in Restaurants" Plenary Speaker at Noise-Con 2020.
  • Wang, L. M. and B. Beamer (2020) “Leveraging ABET Accreditation to Promote Inclusion of Noise Control Engineering Concepts in Engineering Programs” Noise-Con 2020 (Virtual), 16-19 November 2020, 199-204(6).
  • Spallino, W. and L. M. Wang (2020) “Understanding the impact of room acoustic conditions on the kurtosis levels of various noise signals” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 148, 2479(A).
  • Wang, L.M., L. C. Brill, J. Nord, and J. Bovaird (2020) “Higher speech levels in K-12 classrooms correlate to lower math achievement scores” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 148, 2631(A).
  • Smith, K. H., L. M. Wang and V. R. Anderson (2019) “Design features and room characteristics contributing to noise levels in restaurants” International Symposium on Room Acoustics 2019, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Young Acousticians Award.
  • Smith, K. H. and L. M. Wang (2019) “Exploring the effect of ventilation type on the acoustics of primary and secondary school classrooms” International Congress on Acoustics 2019, Aachen, Germany.
  • Wang, L. M. and K. H. Smith (2019)"Acoustic conditions in occupied classrooms" 26th International Congress on Sound and Vibration (ICSV26), Montreal, Canada.
  • Anderson, V. R., K. H. Smith, and L. M. Wang (2019) "Distributions of reverberation time measurements from restaurants with different layouts" J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 145, 1918(A).
  • Smith, K. H. and L. M. Wang (2019) "Relationships between acoustical, IAQ, thermal, and lighting parameters, logged over time" 2019 AEI Conference; Tysons, VA; 3-5 April 2019.
  • Wang, L. M. (2018) "E10: Can School Buildings Make Kids Healthy and Smart? Innovative Explorations and Findings by EPA's School Health Research Grantees" Greenbuild 2018, Chicago.
  • Catton, A., L. M. Wang, A. K. Bosen, T. J. Vallier and D. H. Keefe (2018) "How physical versus panned sources in dry or reverberant conditions affect accuracy of localization in sound field synthesis system" J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 143, 1829(A).
  • Smith, K. H. and L. M. Wang (2018) "Exploring relationships between measured acoustic, lighting, and indoor air quality metrics logged in K-12 classrooms" J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 143, 1894(A).
  • Bliefnick, J. and L. M. Wang. (2017) “Distinguishing between varying amounts of diffusion subjectively and objectively” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 142, 2500(A).
  • Farber, G. and L. M. Wang. (2017) “Analyses of crowd-sourced sound levels, logged from more than 2250 restaurants and bars in New York City” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 142, 2593(A).
  • Paine, J. A. and L. M. Wang. (2017) “Analyses of sound level variations in occupied K-12 classrooms” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 142, 2543(A).
  • Boyd, B. and L. M. Wang. (2017) “Comparison of frequency responses calculated across different time-windowed impulse responses for assorted types of rooms” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 141, 3777(A).
  • Brill, L. C. and L. M. Wang. (2017) “Compiled acoustic and indoor environmental condition data from 220 K-12 classrooms” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 141, 3480(A). Student Paper Award in Architectural Acoustics, 1st Place