Tianyu Zhang

Dr. Tianyu Zhang

Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Montana State University, affiliated with the Center for Biofilm Engineering (CBE) and the College of Letters & Science. Specializes in mathematical modeling, scientific computation, and numerical analysis with a focus on biofilm dynamics and biomineralization processes.

Education

• Ph.D. in Mathematics, University of Minnesota (2006)
• M.S. in Mathematics, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology (2000)
• B.S. in Mathematics, Peking University (1998)

Research Interests

Dr. Zhang's work integrates mathematical modeling with environmental and biomedical applications, particularly in biofilm systems. Key areas include:

• Phase-field modeling of biofilm-biofluid interactions
• Biomineralization processes in porous media
• Environmental engineering challenges in wastewater treatment and PFAS mitigation
• Numerical analysis of partial differential equations

Grants & Awards

Recipient of the 2022 Stannard Teaching Award. Active grants include NSF-funded projects on ML/AI-assisted microbial metabolic models and collaborative selenium remediation technologies.

Labs & Affiliations

Principal investigator in the CBE, collaborating on multiphase biofilm models. Teaches advanced courses in applied mathematics and numerical methods at MSU.