Zhiwu (Drew) Wang, P.E.

CEE 5164 Environmental Biotechnology (Synchronized online course, 3-credit)

CEE 3104 Introduction to Environmental Engineering (Asynchronized online course, 3-credit)

CEE 4174 Solid and Hazardous Waste Management (Synchronized online course, 3-credit)

CEE 5100 Stormwater Treatment (Synchronized online course, 3-credit)

CEE 5984 Biofilms Science and Technology (Synchronized online course, 3-credit)

Program Focus

My research focuses on the development of sustainable biotechnologies for the conversion of wasted materials to valuable bioproducts (https://www.water.cee.vt.edu/). My studies provide insight into engineered bioprocesses specifically designed for biological treatment and value-added bioproducts recovery, with the overarching goal of advancing the biological systems engineering research and serving the technical needs of industry stakeholders. 

I serve as the Director for a research center at Virginia Tech, named “Center for Applied Water Research and Innovation” (CAWRI), aiming to leverage industrial resources for developing advanced biotechnologies to meet the urgent needs of the sustainable development, and to become a role model for University-Utility cooperation in the U.S. This center supports the multi-year research of Virginia Tech graduate students. 

Reviewed Journals

• Wang, J., Sun, Y., Zhang, X., Khunjar, W., Bo, L., Winkler, M.K., Goel, R. and Wang, Z.W., (2024) Carbon-Efficient Nutrients Removal from Real Municipal Wastewater Under Conditions of Highly Variable Influent Quality and Low Temperature. Chemical Engineering Journal, 155268 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2024.155268
• Zhang X.Y., Wang J.F., Zhang Y.X., Qing W.H., Lansing S., Shi J., Zhang W., Wang Z.W. (2024) Anhydrous volatile fatty acid extraction through omniphobic membranes by hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents: mechanistic understanding and future perspective. Water Research, 257, 15, 121654 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2024.121654
• Luo H., Zhang X.Y., Nguyen C., Taylor M., Wang Z.W. (2024) Effects of Carbon Diversion to Primary Sludge Production on Thermal Hydrolysis Pretreatment-Enhanced Anaerobic Digestion, Environmental Science: Water Research and Technology, 10, 677 - 687. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/D3EW00695F
• Wang J.F., An Z.H., Zhang X.Y., Angelotti B., Brooks M., Wang Z.W. (2023) Effects of Nitrate Recycle on the Sludge Densification in Plug-Flow Bioreactors Fed with Real Domestic Wastewater, Processes 2023, 11(7), 1876. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11071876 
  
• An Z.H., Wang J.F., Zhang X.Y., Bott C.B., Angelotti B., Brooks M., Wang Z.W. (2023) Coupling physical selection with biological selection for the startup of a pilot-scale, continuous flow, aerobic granular sludge reactor without treatment interruption, Water Research X, 19, 100186. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wroa.2023.100186
• Sun Y.P., Luo H., Iboleon R., Wang Z.W. (2022) Fate of Antibiotic Resistance Genes and Class 1 Integrons during Sludge Treatment using Pilot-scale Anaerobic Digestion with Thermal Hydrolysis Pretreatment, Bioresource Technology, 128043  
  DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2022.128043
• Wang J.F., Sun Y.P., Zhang D., Broderick T., Strawn M., Santha H., Pallansch K., Denies A., Wang Z.W. (2022) Unblocking the rate-limiting step of the municipal sludge anaerobic digestion, Water Environment.. Research, e10793 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/wer.10793
• Wang J.F., Sun Y.P., Xia K., Deines A., Cooper R., Pallansch K., Wang Z.W. (2022) Pivotal Role of Urban Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility in Urban Agriculture, Water Environment Research, 94(6):e10743. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/wer.10743 (Cover Page)
• An Z.H., Bott C.B., Angelotti B., Brooks M., Wang Z.W. (2021) Leveraging feast and famine selection pressure during startup of continuous flow aerobic granulation systems to manage treatment performance, Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology, 7, 1622-1629, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/D1EW00314C