Pennsylvania State University. Photo: George Chriss, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Penn_state_old_main_summer.jpg)
Ellerbe. Photo: Indy beetle, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ellerbe,_North_Carolina.jpg)
Pennsylvania State University. Photo: George Chriss, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Penn_state_old_main_summer.jpg)
Ellerbe. Photo: Indy beetle, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ellerbe,_North_Carolina.jpg)
educator architectural engineer engineering executive scholar
Moses D.F. Ling was born on June 17, 1952, in Hong Kong. He moved to the United States in 1965 and is the son of John Christian Science Ling and Mary (Shen) Ling.
Ling married Susan Moy in 1975. His professional life developed between architectural-engineering practice and higher education in Pennsylvania, with later work centered on building systems and the education of architectural engineers.
Ling studied architectural engineering at The Pennsylvania State University, receiving a Bachelor of Architectural Engineering degree in 1975 and a Master of Science degree in architectural engineering in 1986. The university's architectural-engineering program is known for integrating architecture, engineering, building systems, and construction within a professional curriculum.
His graduate study preceded a long teaching career in Penn State's Department of Architectural Engineering. The department's work encompasses the scientific and engineering aspects of planning, designing, and constructing buildings, including environmental and mechanical systems.
Ling began his professional career as an engineer with the Leo A. Daly Company in Washington from 1975 to 1977. Leo A. Daly was an architecture and engineering organization whose work included large-scale building and infrastructure projects. He then worked as a project engineer with Ellerbe in Washington from 1977 to 1980 and with Cannon Design in Grand Island, New York, in 1981.
In 1981, Ling joined The Pennsylvania State University as an instructor in architectural engineering. He became an assistant professor in 1986 and later an associate professor; Penn State identifies him as a teaching professor in the Department of Architectural Engineering. His teaching and advising have focused on building mechanical systems, environmental control systems, integrated design, and engineering education.
Ling also became a partner in Parfitt/Ling Consultant Engineers in State College in 1984. His professional background includes registration as a professional engineer in numerous United States jurisdictions, including Pennsylvania, Virginia, New York, New Hampshire, Alabama, Maryland, New Jersey, Florida, the District of Columbia, Arkansas, and Connecticut.
At Penn State, Ling has advised architectural-engineering students, supported multidisciplinary design studios, and helped develop international educational experiences. He organized and led a summer architectural-engineering program connecting Penn State students with institutions and professional settings in China, including Tsinghua University and the University of Hong Kong. The program combined architectural-engineering study with exposure to construction, building design, and international practice.
Ling's professional service has included leadership in the Architectural Engineering Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He served as president of the institute from October 2015 to September 2016 after serving as president-elect, and he has participated in advising student design and competition teams. His documented research and scholarly contributions address integrated architectural-engineering education, project-based learning, capstone design, building systems, and the preservation of historic building envelopes.
Ling was elected president of the Architectural Engineering Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers and served a one-year term from October 2015 to September 2016 after serving as president-elect.
He developed and led an international architectural-engineering study program connecting Penn State students with universities and professional settings in China, including Tsinghua University and the University of Hong Kong.
Ling contributed to integrated architectural-engineering education through multidisciplinary design studios, capstone instruction, student advising, and scholarly work on project-based learning and engineering education.
He contributed to research on the preservation of historic building envelopes through a study of water infiltration and roof performance at Yangxin Hall in Beijing's Forbidden City.
(Co-authored conference paper describing the redesign of a...)
2021The Foggy Mirror Experiment: Pedagogical Approach and Outcome for ABET’s Design and Conducting Experiments for Architectural Engineering
(Co-authored educational study concerning an experimental-...)
2023Convergence in Engineering and Architectural Design Education: Mission-driven Integrated Design Studio
(Co-authored conference work concerning integrated design ...)
2021(Co-authored conference paper on a peer-cohort tutoring, a...)
2022(Co-authored study examining historical roof leakage, repa...)
2025(Co-authored article on a multidisciplinary architectural-...)
2020Ling is a Baptist. Baptist Christianity developed within the broader Protestant tradition and emphasizes the authority of Scripture, the importance of personal faith, believer's baptism, and the autonomy of local congregations.
His documented religious affiliation belongs to the diverse Baptist tradition practiced in the United States, where Baptist churches have been prominent in religious and civic life since the colonial period.
Ling's documented educational philosophy emphasizes integrated design, collaboration among architectural-engineering disciplines, and project-based learning. He has argued that architectural-engineering students should engage with different cultures and professional environments so that they can recognize possibilities beyond their immediate surroundings.
His teaching and professional statements also emphasize the value of combining technical knowledge with architectural and construction perspectives. This approach reflects the architectural-engineering principle that building performance depends on the coordination of multiple systems rather than on isolated disciplinary decisions.
Quotations: "The future is global. Students must be open to learning and seeing new ideas."
Ling has participated in professional, technical, and civic organizations connected with architectural engineering, building regulation, and engineering education. His professional affiliations have included the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers and Tau Beta Pi.
His service to the Architectural Engineering Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers included national leadership as president in 2015–2016. He has also participated in the Centre Region Code Officials' Mechanical Commission and the Centre Region Building and Housing Code Board of Appeals.
Served as president-elect, president, and past president; his presidency ran from October 2015 to September 2016.
Architectural Engineering Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers , United States
2014 - 2017
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers , United States
Tau Beta Pi , United States
Centre Region Code Officials' Mechanical Commission , United States
1987 - present
Centre Region Building and Housing Code Board of Appeals , United States
1995 - present
Ling has described openness to unfamiliar cultures and new ideas as important to engineering education. In discussing his international study program, he emphasized that students should remain receptive to different perspectives and opportunities.
Quotes from others about the person
Penn State colleague Gifford Albright is documented as having encouraged Ling's development as an architectural engineer and later helped him begin his academic career at Penn State. Ling recalled that Albright introduced him to the field through an introductory course.
Ling is the son of John Christian Science Ling and Mary (Shen) Ling. He married Susan Moy in 1975.
