Dr. Yi Zhang, Research Scientist
Dr. Yi Zhang is a Research Scientist with the CCWT. Dr. Zhang has a M.S. in Material Science from the University of Science and Technology of China (2008), where her research focused on synthesizing non-fluorinated green flame-retardant materials. She further pursued her PhD research in Environmental Chemistry at the University of Maryland-College Park (2014), with a focus on understanding the mechanistic redox pathways for reactive oxygen species (ROS) productions and phenol degradation. She has investigated the molecular structure and optical properties of chromophore dissolved organic matters with related photochemical redox mechanism and transformation of organic pollutants in natural aquatic environments. Before joining CCWT, she was a postdoctoral researcher in the Environmental Engineering Department at Temple University (2019). Her postdoctoral research focused on the removal of a suite of PFAS using selected anion exchange resins and GAC in groundwater systems. As an instrumental analyst, she has extensive experience in data analysis, trouble shooting and instrumental maintenance.
Dr. Zhang’s research interests include two major areas: 1) investigating the mechanistic redox transformation of organic containments in natural or engineered aquatic systems using kinetic modeling or molecular probing and 2) developing models for real world application with emphasis on emerging contaminant (e.g., PFAS) removal and destruction.