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Current Members

Mr. Yitao Li joined Dr. Wang’s team as a Ph.D. student in Fall 2022. He received his B.S. in Sustainable Urban Environments and M.S. in Environmental Engineering from New York University in 2021. He was an environmental remediation engineer at Wood E&IS (now part of WSP Global) before starting his Ph.D. study at Virginia Tech. Yitao’s research focuses on the intensification of biological processes during wastewater sludge treatment. He tackles research problems involving CAMBI thermal hydrolysis pretreatment, anaerobic digestion, dewatering, thermal drying, and side-stream nutrient control.

Email: yitao.li@vt.edu ; LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/yitaoli

Mr. Nicholas Poe joined Dr. Wang’s team as a Lab and Research Specialist II in January of 2023. He received his B.S. in Food Science and Technology in 2017 and his MSLFS in Food Science and Technology in 2019 from Virginia Tech. He has previously worked in the fields of food processing and regulatory affairs. Nicholas work focuses on the separation of protein from sorghum grain for use in aquaculture studies.

Email: pnick1@vt.edu

Ms. Zhangtong Liao started her Ph.D. study in Dr. Wang’s team in spring 2024. Before that, she received her M.S. in Environmental Engineering from National University of Singapore in 2023 and B.E. in Water Science and Engineering from Chongqing University in 2022. Zhangtong is researching low carbon nitrogen removal technologies that can be applied for municipal and aquaculture wastewater treatment.

Email: zhangtongliao@vt.edu

Mr. Kai Han started his Research Assistant role in Dr Wang’s Team in Fall 2024. His research focus is on food waste characterization and project management. Before that he received his B.E in Food Science and Technology and Business Administration from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2003.

Email: kaihan@vt.edu

Mr. Mingxi Wang started his Ph.D. study in May 2024. Before that, he received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in 2023. His primary research areas include the production of PHA bioplastics and dark fermentation.

Email: mingxiwang@vt.edu

Mr. Cyrus Li started his Ph.D. study in Dr. Wang’s research team in fall 2024. He received his B.E. in Biological Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech in May 2024. Cyrus is investigating novel methods for thermal liquefaction wastewater treatment.

Email: cyrusli@vt.edu

Mr. Wentao Li started his Ph.D. study in Dr. Wang’s research team in fall 2025. He received his B.E. in Environmental Science from China Pharmaceutical University in June 2025.

Email: well@vt.edu

Ms. Siyi Chen joined Dr. Wang’s team to pursue her Ph.D. study in Fall 2025. She received her B.E. in Food Science and Engineering from China Agricultural University in June 2025.

Email: siyic25@vt.edu

Dr. Runze Sun joined Dr. Wang’s group as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in September 2025. She earned her Ph.D. degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Missouri, where her research focused on the fate, transformation, and destruction of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water treatment systems. Her current research focuses on PFAS destruction in wastewater treatment systems, including the development of low-temperature thermal and catalytic processes for efficient and sustainable PFAS degradation.

Email: runzesun@vt.edu  

Previous Members

Dr. Xueyao Zhang graduated with a Ph.D. degree in Civil Engineering in Fall 2025. Her dissertation is title “Harnessing Haloferax mediterranei for bioplastic production from organic waste”

Mr. Alexander Panaccione graduated with a M.S. degree in Civil Engineering in Spring 2025. His report is titled “Effect of various cationic salts on the removal of soluble orthophosphate and its subsequent impact on the dewatering process”.

Mr. Pranta Roy graduated with a M.S. degree in Biological Systems Engineering in Fall 2024. His thesis is titled “Gravity selector-enabled kenaf recirculation and reuse as a renewable ballasting agent for sludge settleability enhancement in a municipal wastewater secondary process: A real wastewater pilot-scale study“.

Dr. Jiefu Wang graduated with a Ph.D. degree in Civil Engineering in Spring 2024. His dissertation is titled “Carbon-efficient wastewater treatment through resource recovery, process intensification, and partial denitrification anammox“.

Dr. Hao Luo graduated with a Ph.D. degree in Civil Engineering in Fall 2023. His dissertation is titled “Wastewater Carbon Diversion and Recovery via Primary Sludge Production, Thermal Hydrolysis, and Anaerobic Digestion“.

Dr. Zhaohui An graduated with a Ph.D. degree in Civil Engineering in Spring 2022. His dissertation is titled: “Mechanistic understanding of biogranulation for continuous flow wastewater treatment and organic waste valorization“.


Mr. Tyler Houston Kisling graduated with a M.S. degree in Environmental Engineering in fall 2022. His thesis is titled “Characterizing Kinetic Shifts in Nitrifying, Denitrifying, and Phosphorus Removing Biomass Adapting to Low DO“

Mr. Kyle Malin graduated with a M.S. degree in Civil Engineering in fall 2021. His thesis is titled “Development of Kinetic Parameterization Methods for Nitrifying Bacteria using Respirometry“

Ms. Parita Shah graduated with a M.S. degree in  Environmental Engineering in fall 2018. Her thesis is titled “Evaluation of digital PCR (dPCR) for the quantification of soil nitrogen turnover bacteria in wetland mesocosms in response to seasonal, fertilization, and plant species richness level effects“.

Dr. Yewei Sun graduated with a Ph.D. degree in Civil Engineering in Spring 2020. His dissertation is titled “Advanced Biofilm and Aerobic Granulation Technologies for Water and Wastewater Treatment“

Dr. Dian Zhang graduated with a Ph.D. degree in Civil Engineering in Spring 2020. His dissertation is titled “Effects of process intensification techniques on biosolids management“


Mr. Tim Kent graduated from Dr. Wang’s team with a M.S. degree in Civil Engineering in fall 2018. His thesis is titled “Mechanistic Understanding of the NOB Suppression by Free Ammonia Inhibition in Continuous Flow Aerobic Granulation Bioreactors“.


Ms. Jie Lin graduated from Dr. Wang’s team with a M.S. degree in Environmental Engneering in Spring 2018. Her thesis is titled “Statistical evaluation of the factors causing microbial growth in point-of-use filters“.

PhD and MS Students Co-Advised at Virginia Tech

  1. J. Harrison Priode, Ph.D. Dissertation, Chair: Anna Duraj-Thatte – ongoing
  2. Fengze Han, M.S. Thesis, Chair: Wujun Sun – ongoing
  3. Mehmet Oguz Yardimci, Ph.D. Dissertation, Chair: Feras Batarseh – ongoing
  4. Fujunzhu Zhao, Ph.D. Dissertation, Chair: Haibo Huang – ongoing
  5. Kihyeon Ahn, Ph.D. Dissertation, Chair: Young Kim – ongoing
  6. Xiyu Wang, M.S. Thesis, Chair: Young Kim – ongoing
  7. Megan Bachmann, M.S. Thesis, Chair: Amy Pruden – ongoing
  8. Mah Joshua, Ph.D. Dissertation, Chair: Adil Godrej – ongoing
  9. Ali Nemati, M.S. non-Thesis, Chair: Adil Godrej – ongoing
  10. Mancell-egala Abdul, Ph.D. Dissertation, Chair: Adil Godrej – completed
  11. Ramola Vaidya, Ph.D. Dissertation, Chair: Amy Pruden – completed
  12. Stephanie Klaus, Ph.D. Dissertation, Chair: Amy Pruden – completed
  13. Jain Akshay, M.S. Thesis, Chair: Zhen He – completed
  14. Syeed Md Iskander, Ph.D. Dissertation, Chair: Zhen He – completed
  15. Pranav Sai Shankar Sampara, M.S. Thesis, Chair: Zhen He – completed
  16. Shiqiang Zou, Ph.D. Dissertation, Chair: Zhen He – completed
  17. Erin Lynn Ress, M.S. non-Thesis, Chair: Adil Godrej – completed
  18. Ke Li, M.S. Thesis, Chair: Zhen He – completed
  19. Lu Guan, M.S. Thesis, Chair: Zhen He – completed
  20. Shuai Luo, Ph.D. Dissertation, Chair: Zhen He – completed
  21. Pengyu Yan, M.S. Thesis, Chair: Zhen He – completed
  22. Jing Wang, M.S. Thesis, Chair: Zhen He – completed
  23. Xiaojin Li, Ph.D. Dissertation, Chair: Zhen He – completed
  24. Zhenyu Wu, M.S. Thesis, Chair: Zhen He – completed
  25. Victory Oghenerabome Odize, Ph.D. Dissertation, Chair: Adil Godrej – completed
  26. Jian Li, Ph.D. Dissertation, Chair: Zhen He – completed
  27. Matthew Stephen Ferby, M.S. Thesis, Chair: Zhen He – completed
  28. Bin Xu, Ph.D. Thesis, Chair: Zhen He – completed
  29. Zixuan Wang, M.S. Thesis, Chair: Zhen He – completed
  30. Tue Phung, M.S. non-Thesis, Chair: Adil Godrej – completed
  31. Nevetha Ramesh, M.S. non-Thesis, Chair: Zhen He – completed
  32. Michael Anthony Gallo, M.S. non-Thesis, Chair: Adil Godrej – completed
  33. Jay Sim, M.S. non-Thesis, Chair: Bill Knocke – completed
  34. Dipika Dinesh, M.S. non-Thesis, Chair: Gabriel Isaacman-VanWertz – completed
  35. Danny Hermes, M.S. non-Thesis, Chair: Adil Godrej – completed
  36. Dylan Cowell, M.S. non-Thesis, Chair: Zhen He – completed
  37. Divyang Pavan Baldota, M.S. non-Thesis, Chair: Zhen He – completed
  38. Kyung Sun Chung, M.S. non-Thesis, Chair: Zhen He – completed
  39. Yi Shuang, M.S. non-Thesis, Chair: Zhen He – completed
  40. Yu Dong, M.S. non-Thesis, Chair: Zhen He – completed
  41. Khantil Buch, M.S. non-Thesis, Chair: Linsey Marr – completed
  42. Tolulope Adekanye, M.S. non-Thesis,, Chair: Zhen He – completed
  43. Justin Macmanus, M.S. Thesis, Chair: Amy Pruden – competed
  44. Sarah Frances Schoepflin, M.S. Thesis, Chair: Amy Pruden – completed
  45. Kayla Bauhs, M.S. Thesis, Chair: Amy Pruden – completed

PhD and MS Students Co-Advised at Other Universities

  1. Shiyun Yao, Ph.D. Dissertation, Chair: Heyang Yuan, in Temple University – completed
  2. Meicen Liu, Ph.D. Dissertation, Chair: Yi Zheng, in Kansas State University – completed
  3. Alison Gomeiz, M.S. Thesis, Chair: Benoit Van Aken, in George Mason University – completed

Visiting Scholars

  1. Dong Li (2017, Beijing University of Technology, China)
  2. Youwei Cui (2018, Beijing University of Technology, China)
  3. Li Tang (2013-2014, Shanghai Jiaotong University, China)