Tao Yan
___________________________________________________________________
My research goal is to integrate better engineering of water structures with improved understanding of (Hawaii’s) natural water resources…
Professor Yan’s research focuses on a critical area for Hawaii—water quality. His research is driven by (1) the essential need for clean and safe water for human consumption and recreation, (2) challenges facing water quality as a result of climate change, and (3) population growth and urbanization. In Hawaii, rapid urbanization, aging water infrastructures, and frequent and intense storm events are the root cause of sanitary sewer overflows, and stormwater runoffs are the primary cause of the contamination of our coastal waters. Tao’s joint appointment with the Water Resources Research Center and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering empowers his research goal to integrate better engineering (design and operation) of water infrastructures with improved understanding of the natural water resources for the protection of human health, prosperity, and overall wellbeing of our communities in Hawaii.
EDUCATION
- BS, Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology
- MS, Environmental Engineering, Tsinghua University
- PhD, Civil Engineering, University of Minnesota
INTERESTS
- Water quality
- Fecal pollution
- Non-fecal human pathogens in water
- Water and wastewater infrastructures
- Bacterial antibiotic resistance
CURRENT PROJECT
- RAPID: Determine community disease burden of COVID-19 by probing wastewater microbiome