Ling Li

Ling Li is an Assistant Professor of Sustainable Bioenergy Systems at the School of Forest Resources, University of Maine, within the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture. Her work focuses on improving energy efficiency in the wood industry and advancing carbon-neutral bioproducts through innovative technologies and numerical modeling of hydrothermal behavior in wood and engineered wood products. She is actively engaged in research on biomass utilization, biochar applications for soil and environmental remediation, and sustainable bioenergy systems.

• Ph.D. in Forest Engineering, University of New Brunswick, Canada
• B.Sc. in Wood Science and Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, China

Dr. Li's research interests span bioproducts, clean and renewable energy, forestry-based biomass utilization, wood-water relations, and biochar applications for enhancing soil moisture and drought resilience in wild blueberries. She also explores the use of biochar for PFAS remediation. Her work integrates experimental and numerical methods to study the mechanical and thermal behavior of engineered wood products and mass timber systems.

The recent publications reflect a strong trend in wood modification, moisture dynamics, structural performance of laminated timber, and energy-efficient drying technologies. Her studies increasingly incorporate biochar and membrane-based dehumidification systems for sustainable solutions in agriculture and industrial processing.

Her scientific awards include:

• The Second Place of Wood Award, U.S. Forest Products Society (2014)
• First Prize, Student Poster Competition, Forest Products Society Eastern Canadian Section (2013)
• Forest Products Society Student Award, Eastern Canadian Section (2011)

Dr. Li has advised graduate students and served on examination and advisory committees. Her research is supported by the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station and the McIntire-Stennis program (Project ME042205). She teaches courses such as SFR 450 – Processing of Biomaterials and SFR 455 – Bioenergy Sources, Systems, and Environmental Effects. She leads the Biomass Energy Laboratory at Nutting Hall and collaborates on interdisciplinary projects involving energy recovery systems for kiln drying processes.

She is a member of the Society of Wood Science and Technology and serves as a reviewer for journals including International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, Construction and Building Materials, and Journal of Wood Science and Technology.