About the Principle Investigator
Dr. Tiezheng Tong is currently an Associate Professor (with tenure) of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Colorado State University. Prior to joining CSU in 2017, he worked as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Yale University (supervised by Prof. Menachem Elimelech). Dr. Tong received his Ph.D. degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Northwestern University in 2015 (supervised by Prof. Kimberly Gray and Prof. Jean-François Gaillard). He holds a B.S. degree (2008) with honors in Environmental Engineering from Beijing Normal University, a M.S. degree (2010) in Environmental Science and Engineering from Tsinghua University, and a second M.S. degree (2011) in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Northwestern University. He is the leading author or co-author of >60 peer-reviewed journal articles, which have been published on high-profile journals such as Nature Water, Nature Communications, Environmental Science & Technology and Energy & Environmental Science. His work has been cited by ~5,000 times globally with an H-index of 33. He is also the recipient of several academic and professional awards, including the CAPEES/UCEEF Early Career Award from Chinese-American Professors in Environmental Engineering and Science (2023), the CAREER Award from National Science Foundation (2022), the 40 under 40 Award from American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists (2022), ACS ES&T Engineering Best Paper Award (2022), American Chemistry Society the Young Membrane Scientist Award from North American Membrane Society (2020), a student award from Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization (2013), and Environmental Chemistry Graduate Student Award from American Chemistry Society (2012). His current research interests include (1) achieving energy-efficient treatment of hypersaline brines for circular water economy, (2) elucidating fundamental phenomena at the water-membrane interface, and (3) applying data-driven approaches to promote water sustainability.
Dr. Tiezheng Tong is currently an Associate Professor (with tenure) of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Colorado State University. Prior to joining CSU in 2017, he worked as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Yale University (supervised by Prof. Menachem Elimelech). Dr. Tong received his Ph.D. degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Northwestern University in 2015 (supervised by Prof. Kimberly Gray and Prof. Jean-François Gaillard). He holds a B.S. degree (2008) with honors in Environmental Engineering from Beijing Normal University, a M.S. degree (2010) in Environmental Science and Engineering from Tsinghua University, and a second M.S. degree (2011) in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Northwestern University. He is the leading author or co-author of >60 peer-reviewed journal articles, which have been published on high-profile journals such as Nature Water, Nature Communications, Environmental Science & Technology and Energy & Environmental Science. His work has been cited by ~5,000 times globally with an H-index of 33. He is also the recipient of several academic and professional awards, including the CAPEES/UCEEF Early Career Award from Chinese-American Professors in Environmental Engineering and Science (2023), the CAREER Award from National Science Foundation (2022), the 40 under 40 Award from American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists (2022), ACS ES&T Engineering Best Paper Award (2022), American Chemistry Society the Young Membrane Scientist Award from North American Membrane Society (2020), a student award from Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization (2013), and Environmental Chemistry Graduate Student Award from American Chemistry Society (2012). His current research interests include (1) achieving energy-efficient treatment of hypersaline brines for circular water economy, (2) elucidating fundamental phenomena at the water-membrane interface, and (3) applying data-driven approaches to promote water sustainability.
Education
Northwestern University Civil and Environmental Engineering Doctor of Philosophy 2015
Northwestern University Civil and Environmental Engineering Master of Science 2011
Tsinghua University Environmental Science and Engineering Master of Science 2010
Beijing Normal University Environmental Engineering Bachelor of Science 2008
Northwestern University Civil and Environmental Engineering Doctor of Philosophy 2015
Northwestern University Civil and Environmental Engineering Master of Science 2011
Tsinghua University Environmental Science and Engineering Master of Science 2010
Beijing Normal University Environmental Engineering Bachelor of Science 2008
Academic Appointment
07/2023 － present Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University
08/2017 － 06/2023 Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University
08/2015 － 07/2017 Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University
09/2010 － 07/2015 Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northwestern University
07/2023 － present Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University
08/2017 － 06/2023 Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University
08/2015 － 07/2017 Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University
09/2010 － 07/2015 Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northwestern University
Selected Awards and Honors
2023 George T. Abell Outstanding Early-Career Faculty Award, College of Engineering, Colorado State University
2023 Faculty Award for Excellence in Research, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University
2023 CAPEES/UCEEF Early Career Award, Chinese-American Professors in Environmental Engineering and Science (CAPEES)
2022 CAREER Award, National Science Foundation
2022 40 under 40 Award, American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists
2022 ACS ES&T Engineering Best Paper Award, American Chemistry Society
2020 Young Membrane Scientist Award, North American Membrane Society
2016 Excellence in Reviewing Award, Water, Air & Soil Pollution, Springer
2013 Student Award, Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization
2013 Illinois Section of the ASCE Environmental & Water Resources Institute (EWRI) Student Scholarship Award (graduate-student level)
2013 Certificate of Merit Award for presentation at the American Chemistry Society National Meeting, Division of Environmental Chemistry of the American Chemical Society
2012 Environmental Chemistry Graduate Student Award, American Chemistry Society
2012 Goldschmidt Travel Grant
2011 Student Research Award, Institute for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern
2010 Walter P. Murphy Fellowship, Northwestern University
2009 Mei-shang International Scholarship (top 5%), Tsinghua University
2008 Undergraduate Research Award, Beijing Normal University 2008 Outstanding Senior Award of Beijing Normal University 2008 Outstanding Senior Award of Beijing City (top 5%)
2008 Outstanding Senior Award of Beijing Normal University
2005, 2006, 2007 First Class Professional Scholarship of Beijing Normal University (awarded to only top 5% students)
2023 George T. Abell Outstanding Early-Career Faculty Award, College of Engineering, Colorado State University
2023 Faculty Award for Excellence in Research, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University
2023 CAPEES/UCEEF Early Career Award, Chinese-American Professors in Environmental Engineering and Science (CAPEES)
2022 CAREER Award, National Science Foundation
2022 40 under 40 Award, American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists
2022 ACS ES&T Engineering Best Paper Award, American Chemistry Society
2020 Young Membrane Scientist Award, North American Membrane Society
2016 Excellence in Reviewing Award, Water, Air & Soil Pollution, Springer
2013 Student Award, Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization
2013 Illinois Section of the ASCE Environmental & Water Resources Institute (EWRI) Student Scholarship Award (graduate-student level)
2013 Certificate of Merit Award for presentation at the American Chemistry Society National Meeting, Division of Environmental Chemistry of the American Chemical Society
2012 Environmental Chemistry Graduate Student Award, American Chemistry Society
2012 Goldschmidt Travel Grant
2011 Student Research Award, Institute for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern
2010 Walter P. Murphy Fellowship, Northwestern University
2009 Mei-shang International Scholarship (top 5%), Tsinghua University
2008 Undergraduate Research Award, Beijing Normal University 2008 Outstanding Senior Award of Beijing Normal University 2008 Outstanding Senior Award of Beijing City (top 5%)
2008 Outstanding Senior Award of Beijing Normal University
2005, 2006, 2007 First Class Professional Scholarship of Beijing Normal University (awarded to only top 5% students)
Professional Services
Peer-reviewed Journal Referee
ACS Applied & Materials Interfaces, ACS Nano, ACS ES&T Engineering, ACS ES&T Water, Desalination, Engineering, Environmental International, Environmental Pollution, Environmental Science: Nano, Environmental Science: Water Science & Technology, Environmental Science & Technology, Enzyme and Microbial Technology, Frontiers of Environmental Science and Engineering, Journal of Hazardous Materials, Nature Sustainability, npj Clean Water, Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management, Journal of Membrane Science, Journal of Membrane Science Letter, Journal of Nanoparticle Research, Journal of Water Process Engineering, Langmuir, PLoS One, Separation & Purification Reviews, Separation & Purification Technology, Science of the Total Environment, The ISME Journal, Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, Water Research
Editorial Services
Associate Editor, Frontiers in Membrane Science and Technology, (2022-present)
Topic editor, Membranes, (2020－present)
Early Career Editorial Board, Journal of Membrane Science, Publisher: Elsevier (2021 – present)
Grant Review Panel
National Science Foundation: Environmental Engineering Program (panel three times), Nanoscale Interactions Program (panel one time), and Environmental Chemical Science Program (2017-present)
The U.S. − Egypt S&T Joint Fund, the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (panel one time)
The USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Exploratory Research program (2018-present)
American Chemical Society - ACS Petroleum Research Fund (2018-present)
The German-Israeli Water Technology Cooperation Program, Israeli Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Civil, Industrial and Systems Engineering (2018-present)
BARD - The US-Israel Agricultural Research & Development Fund (2017-present)
Peer-reviewed Journal Referee
ACS Applied & Materials Interfaces, ACS Nano, ACS ES&T Engineering, ACS ES&T Water, Desalination, Engineering, Environmental International, Environmental Pollution, Environmental Science: Nano, Environmental Science: Water Science & Technology, Environmental Science & Technology, Enzyme and Microbial Technology, Frontiers of Environmental Science and Engineering, Journal of Hazardous Materials, Nature Sustainability, npj Clean Water, Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management, Journal of Membrane Science, Journal of Membrane Science Letter, Journal of Nanoparticle Research, Journal of Water Process Engineering, Langmuir, PLoS One, Separation & Purification Reviews, Separation & Purification Technology, Science of the Total Environment, The ISME Journal, Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, Water Research
Editorial Services
Associate Editor, Frontiers in Membrane Science and Technology, (2022-present)
Topic editor, Membranes, (2020－present)
Early Career Editorial Board, Journal of Membrane Science, Publisher: Elsevier (2021 – present)
Grant Review Panel
National Science Foundation: Environmental Engineering Program (panel three times), Nanoscale Interactions Program (panel one time), and Environmental Chemical Science Program (2017-present)
The U.S. − Egypt S&T Joint Fund, the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (panel one time)
The USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Exploratory Research program (2018-present)
American Chemical Society - ACS Petroleum Research Fund (2018-present)
The German-Israeli Water Technology Cooperation Program, Israeli Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Civil, Industrial and Systems Engineering (2018-present)
BARD - The US-Israel Agricultural Research & Development Fund (2017-present)