At the USC Stevens Institute Innovation Showcase, held on March 28^th, 2007, Prof. Yan Xiao’s innovative design of modern bamboo bridges was selected as one of the only three exhibitions. Professor Xiao spent his sabbatical leave last year conducting and directing collaborative research at the Hunan University of China, creating ways to use the “giant grass” as raw material for making composite materials for structural applications. Prof. Xiao came up with the idea of using bamboo materials in modern structures, such as buildings and bridges with huge potential for structurally sound, economical and environmentally-friendly structures of all kinds. With his collaborators in Hunan, Prof. Xiao designed and constructed a prototype pedestrian bridge made with bamboo composites. He is currently working on designing a traffic bridge and a California-style demonstration house in China. It is expected that even a partial replacement of current concrete or steel construction by natural and green materials such as bamboo would significantly improve the growing environmental problems of the world.