Baolin Deng

Baolin Deng is a Curator's Distinguished Professor and William Andrew Davidson Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Missouri-Columbia, where he also serves as Co-director of the Missouri Water Center. His career spans over two decades at Mizzou with significant contributions to environmental engineering research and education.

Education:

• PhD from Johns Hopkins University
• MS from China University of Geosciences
• BE from China University of Geosciences

Deng's research focuses on applying environmental engineering and chemistry principles to address critical water quality issues. His work spans chemical and biological transformation of contaminants, environmental applications of nanotechnology, hazardous waste management, and advanced membrane processes for water treatment and reuse. He has pioneered technologies for arsenic removal from drinking water that benefit underserved communities globally, addressing a health risk affecting over 200 million people worldwide. His current projects include PFAS remediation, water quality monitoring for harmful algal blooms, advanced desalination membranes, and evaluating water quality impacts on endangered mussels in Missouri.

Deng has served as Associate Editor/Asian regional editor for Environmental Engineering Science and previously chaired the MU Department of Chemical Engineering from 2009-2015. His international experience includes research at the US Air Force Research Laboratory, faculty positions at New Mexico Tech, a visiting scholar position at Stanford University (2006/2007), and serving as Chair Professor at Southern University of Science & Technology in China (2017-2018).

Scientific Awards:

• Curators' Distinguished Professor (2024)
• William Andrew Davidson Professorship
• National Science Foundation CAREER Award
• Lifetime Achievement Award from Chinese-American Professors in Environmental Engineering and Science

Deng has been PI/co-PI for over three dozen research projects with significant funding, including a $5 million EPA grant for sustainable water management and multiple USGS National Competitive Grants. He has published over 140 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, establishing himself as a leading researcher in water treatment technologies. As co-director of the Missouri Water Center, he works with interdisciplinary teams across the university and collaborates with stakeholders throughout Missouri to address water resource challenges.

Deng leads research in the Aquatic Chemistry and Engineering Lab at Lafferre Hall and has been instrumental in developing MU's new environmental engineering degree program, emphasizing the cross-disciplinary nature of modern environmental challenges that require knowledge spanning chemistry, biology, engineering, social sciences, and economics.