Education

• Ph.D. Environmental Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA, 2022
• M. Sc. Environmental Engineering,South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China, 2015
• B. Sc. Environmental Science, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China, 2012

 
Professional Experience

• Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Memphis (8/2024-Present)
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Georgia Institute of Technology (7/2022-6/2024)
• Graduate Teaching Assistant, The University of Connecticut (1/2019-5/2021)
• Graduate Research Assistant, The University of Connecticut (8/2016-5/2022)
• Graduate Research Assistant, South China University of Technology, (9/2012-6/2015)

 
Honors and Awards

• 2023:CEE Postdoctoral Excellence Award, Georgia Tech
  2023:CAPEES-Elsevier Doctoral Dissertation Award
  2021:CEE Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Awards, UConn
  2021: Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship, UConn
  2021: CEE Graduate Student Leadership Award, UConn
  2019: The 1st place in NEWEA Annual Conference Poster Competition
  2019: Predoctoral Fellowship in Environmental Engineering Program, UConn
  2019: John Lof Leadership Academy in School of Engineering, UConn

 
Research Interest

• Reliable water sensors development for real-time water quality monitoring.
• Energy-sustainable water treatment technologies (e.g., microbial electrochemical systems,
  anaerobic digestion).
• Digital Water-Energy-Food Nexus

 
Publications

• Kliman, R.; Huang, Y.; Zhao, Y.; Chen, Y.* Towards an Automated System for Nondestructive Estimation of Plant Biomass. Plant Direct. Under review
• Huang, Y.; Zhong, S.; Gan, L.; Chen, Y.* Development of Machine Learning Models for Ion-Selective Electrode Cation Sensors Design. ACS ES&T Engineering. 2024, 4 (7), 1702- 1711 paper link
• Huang, Y.; Afolabi, M.; Gan, L.; Liu, S.; Chen, Y.* MXene-Coated Ion-Selective Electrode Sensors for Highly Stable and Selective Lithium Dynamics Monitoring. Environmental Science & Technology. 2024, 58, 2, 1359–1368. paper link
• Wang, X.; Rashid, I.; Zhao, Z.; Oladele, M.; Xiang, W.; Huang, Y.; Wazer, E.; McCutcheon, J.; Bollas, G.; Contreras, J.; Li, B.* Machine Learning Algorithm Integrated with Real-Time In Situ Sensors and Physiochemical Principle-Driven Soft Sensors toward an Anaerobic Digestion-Data Fusion Framework. ACS ES&T Water. 2024, 4, 3, 1061–1072 paper link.
• Huang, Y.; Zhang, J.; Ren, Z.; Xiang, W.; Sifat, I.; Zhang, W.*; Zhu, J.*; Li, B.* Next Generation Decentralized Water Systems: a Water-Energy-Infrastructure-Human Nexus (WEIHN) Approach. Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology. 2023, 9, 2446- 2471. paper link
• Wang, X.; Sahoo, S.; Gascon J.; Bragin, M.; Liu, F.; Huang, Y.; Olchowski, J.; Gao, P.; Alpay, SP.; Li, B.* Deciphering Electrochemical Interactions in Metal-polymer Catalysts for CO2 Reduction. Energy & Environmental Science. 2023, 16, 4388-4403. paper link
• Huang, Y.; Qian, X.; Wang, X.; Wang, T.; Lounder, S. J.; Ravindran, T.; Demitrack, Z.; McCutcheon, J.; Asatekin, A.; Li, B.* Electrospraying Zwitterionic Copolymers as an Effective Biofouling Control for Accurate and Continuous Monitoring of Wastewater Dynamics in a Real-Time and Long-Term Manner. Environmental Science & Technology. 2022, 56 (12), 8176–8186. paper link
• Huang, Y.; Wang, X.; Xiang, W.; Wang, T.; Otis, C.; Sarge, L.; Lei, Y.; Li, B.* Forward- Looking Roadmaps for Long-Term Continuous Water Quality Monitoring: Bottlenecks, Innovations, and Prospects in a Critical Review. Environmental Science & Technology. 2022, 56 (9), 5334–5354. paper link
• Wang, T.; Cui, C.; Huang, Y.; Fan, Y.; Xu, Z.; Sarge, L.; Bagtzoglou, C.; Brückner, C.; Gao, P.; Li, B.* Ion Selective Nano-Mesh Electrode for Long-Term Continuous Monitoring of Wastewater Quality Fabricated Using Template-Guided Membrane Immobilization. Environmental. Science: Nano. 2022, 9 (6), 2149–2160. paper link
• Fan, Y.; Qian, F.; Huang, Y.; Sifat, I.; Zhang, C.; Depasquale, A.; Wang, L.; Li, B.* Miniature Microbial Fuel Cells Integrated with Triggered Power Management Systems to Power Wastewater Sensors in an Uninterrupted Mode. Applied Energy. 2021, 302, 117556. paper link
• Wang, X.; Fan, Y.; Huang, Y.; Ling, J.; Klimowicz, A.; Pagano, G.; Li, B.* Solving Sensor Reading Drifting Using Denoising Data Processing Algorithm (DDPA) for Long-Term Continuous and Accurate Monitoring of Ammonium in Wastewater. ACS ES&T Water. 2021, 1 (3), 530–541. paper link
• Fan, Y.; Xu, Z.; Huang, Y.; Wang, T.; Zheng, S.; DePasquale, A.; Brüeckner, C.; Lei, Y.; Li, B.* Long-Term Continuous and Real-Time in Situ Monitoring of Pb(II) Toxic Contaminants in Wastewater Using Solid-State Ion Selective Membrane (S-ISM) Pb and pH Auto- Correction Assembly. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 2020, 400, 123299. paper link
• Ryu, H.; Thompson, D.; Huang, Y.; Li, B.; Lei, Y.* Electrochemical Sensors for Nitrogen Species: A Review. Sensors and Actuators Reports. 2020, 2 (1), 100022. paper link
• Wang, T.; Xu, Z.; Huang, Y.; Dai, Z.; Wang, X.; Lee, M.; Li, B.* Real-time in situ Auto-correction of K+ Interference for Continuous and Long-term NH4+ Monitoring in Wastewater using Solid-state Ion Selective Membrane (S-ISM) Sensor Assembly. Environmental Research. 2020, 109891. paper link
• Fan, Y.; Huang, Y.; Linthicum, W.; Liu, F.; OReilly Beringhs, A.; Dang, Y.; Xu, Z.; Chang, S. Y.; Ling, J.; Huey, B. D.; Suib, S. L.; Ma, A. W. K.; Gao, P. X.; Lu, X.; Lei, Y.; Shaw, M. T.; Li, B.* Toward Long-Term Accurate and Continuous Monitoring of Nitrate in Wastewater Using Poly (Tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE)−Solid-State Ion-Selective Electrodes (S-ISEs). ACS Sensors. 2020, 5 (10), 3182–3193. paper link
• Xu, Z.; MahmoodPoor Dehkordy, F.; Li, Y.; Fan, Y.; Wang, T.; Huang, Y.; Zhou, W.; Dong, Q.; Lei, Y.; Stuber, M. D.; Bagtzoglou, A.; Li, B.* High-Fidelity Profiling and Modeling of Heterogeneity in Wastewater Systems Using Milli-Electrode Array (MEA): Toward High- Efficiency and Energy-Saving Operation. Water Research. 2019, 165, 114971. paper link
• Zhou, W.; Xu, Z.; Ross, D.; Dignan, J.; Fan, Y.; Huang, Y.; Wang, G.; Bagtzoglou, A. C.; Lei, Y.; Li, B.* Towards Water-Saving Irrigation Methodology: Field Test of Soil Moisture Profiling Using Flat Thin Mm-Sized Soil Moisture Sensors (MSMSs). Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical. 2019, 298, 126857. paper link
• Xu, Z.; Fan, Y.; Wang, T.; Huang, Y.; MahmoodPoor Dehkordy, F.; Dai, Z.; Xia, L.; Dong, Q.; Bagtzoglou, A.; McCutcheon, J.; Lei, Y.; Li, B.* Towards High Resolution Monitoring of Water Flow Velocity Using Flat Flexible Thin Mm-Sized Resistance-Typed Sensor Film (MRSF). Water Research X. 2019, 4, 100028. paper link
• Huang, Y.; Wang, T.; Xu, Z.; Hughes, E.; Qian, F.; Lee, M.; Fan, Y.; Lei, Y.; Brückner, C.; Li, B.* Real-Time in Situ Monitoring of Nitrogen Dynamics in Wastewater Treatment Processes Using Wireless, Solid-State, and Ion-Selective Membrane Sensors. Environmental Science & Technology. 2019, 53 (6), 3140–3148. paper link
• Huang, Y.; MahmoodPoor Dehkordy, F.; Li, Y.; Emadi, S.; Bagtzoglou, A.; Li, B.* Enhancing Anaerobic Fermentation Performance through Eccentrically Stirred Mixing: Experimental and Modeling Methodology. Chemical Engineering Journal. 2018, 334, 1383- 1391. paper link
• Li, Y.; Styczynski, J.; Huang, Y.; Xu, Z.; McCutcheon, J.; Li, B.* Energy-Positive Wastewater Treatment and Desalination in an Integrated Microbial Desalination Cell (MDC)-Microbial Electrolysis Cell (MEC). Journal of Power Sources. 2017, 356, 529–538. paper link

  Invited Seminar, Lecture, and Workshop Presentations

• Accurate Long-term Continuous Water Quality Monitoring for Advancing Resource
  Recovery and Data-Driven Approaches in Water and Wastewater Systems. Invited seminar
  at the University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, January 31st, 2024.
• Accurate Long-term Continuous Water Quality Monitoring for Advancing Resource
  Recovery and Data-Driven Approaches in Water and Wastewater Systems. Invited seminar
  at Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, January 17th, 2024
• Applications of Nanotechnology in Environmental Sensors. Invited lecture at Georgia
  Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, November 16th, 2024.
• Real-time in situ decoding nitrogen dynamics in wastewater treatment plants through
  wireless solid-state ion-selective membrane (S-ISM) milli-electrode array (MEA), Invited
  seminar at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, September 21st, 2018.