Luna Lu

Luna Lu, the Reilly Professor of Civil Engineering, is a pioneer in infrastructure technology. She founded WaveLogix, revolutionizing how engineers monitor and assess concrete structures, particularly on interstates. Lu developed a smart sensor, embedded in poured concrete, that communicates real-time data to engineers via a smartphone app. This innovation was recognized as one of the Best Inventions of 2023 by Time Magazine and one of the Next Best Things in Tech for 2022 by Fast Company. The American Society of Civil Engineers also named the invention an Infrastructure Gamechanger in 2021. Additionally, Lu’s contributions earned her the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Alfred Noble Prize in 2022 for a seminal paper detailing her discovery, as well as an Edison Award (considered an “Oscar of innovation”) in 2024. Along with her entrepreneurial work and professorship, Lu is director of Purdue’s Center for Intelligent Infrastructure, leading research and innovation in civil engineering.