PI Dr. Yuexiao Shen
Dr. Shen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering at Texas Tech University from 2019 Fall. He earned his B.S. and M.S. in Environmental Engineering from Tsinghua University, followed by a Ph.D. from Penn State in 2016. He completed his postdoctoral fellowship in Prof. Peidong Yang’s lab at UC Berkeley in 2019. Dr. Shen has published over 50 papers in top-tier journals including Science, Nature Materials, Nature Nanotechnology, Nature Catalysis, Science Advances, Nature Communications, PNAS, and JACS. His work is supported by agencies such as NIH, DoD, SERDP, DoE, NSF, and EPA. Beyond his academic research, Dr. Shen has a strong interest in astronomy. He collaborates with the Department of Physics at Texas Tech, contributing to outreach and observatory teaching lab activities. He also operates a personal professional observatory, and his astrophotography was featured by NASA’s ‘Astronomy Picture of the Day’ on November 23, 2023.
Graduate Student
George A. Hana (gehana@ttu.edu)
George A. Hana is a doctoral candidate in Chemical Engineering at Texas Tech University, specializing in the remediation of recalcitrant environmental contaminants, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), chlorinated solvents, and 1,4-dioxane. Under the mentorship of Dr. Yuexiao Shen, his current research focuses on the design, engineering, and validation of a thermal reactor system for PFAS treatment. This system enables enhanced thermal mineralization of PFAS at moderate temperatures and incorporates advanced product recovery techniques to improve efficiency and scalability. In parallel, George evaluates the performance of novel sorbent materials for the selective adsorption of chlorinated solvents and 1,4-dioxane from water sources. His work also explores the synergistic integration of adsorption and advanced oxidation processes to improve contaminant removal and degradation. As an NSF I-Corps Fellow, George has led commercialization efforts for a patented nano-antibiotic capable of eradicating antibiotic-resistant bacteria. He has conducted over 200 customer discovery interviews, developed comprehensive business plans, and actively engaged with investors to advance the technology toward market readiness.
Yilang Sun (Yilang.Sun@ttu.edu)
Yilang Sun is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering at Texas Tech University. He earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Environmental Engineering from universities in China. Yilang has authored more than four peer-reviewed publications in journals such as Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, Chemosphere, and Environmental Advances, and holds a patent in the field of environmental treatment. His research focuses on advanced oxidation processes for wastewater treatment, the development of novel adsorbents with high affinity for PFAS, and column studies for large-scale treatment applications. His work has been recognized through several awards, including the TWRI USGS Graduate Scholarship, the Graduate Student Research Support Award, and the Summer Thesis/Dissertation Research Award in 2025. Yilang currently serves as a research assistant under the supervision of Dr. Yuexiao Shen. Outside of his academic pursuits, Yilang enjoys outdoor activities, particularly table tennis, hiking, and fishing.
