Ming-Hsun Cheng

Ming-Hsun Cheng is an Assistant Professor of Energy and Environment at the University of Idaho's Department of Natural Resources and Society within the College of Natural Resources. His research focuses on biorefinery design, bioenergy innovation, and sustainability analysis through techno-economic evaluations and life-cycle assessments. Dr. Cheng holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering from Iowa State University (2017), following a postdoctoral stint (2017–2022) at the University of Illinois' CABBI center studying biorefinery systems and biofuel conversions.

His academic background includes a B.S. in Forest Products Science (National Chiayi, 2008) and an M.S. in Forestry and Resource Conservation (National Taiwan University, 2010). Courses taught include NRS 501: Natural Resources and Society Graduate Seminar and ENVS 501: Environmental Science Graduate Seminar.

Research interests span biomass valorization, green technologies, and environmental impact modeling. Key contributions include studies on hydrothermal pretreatment for cellulosic sugar recovery, transgenic energycane utilization, and microbial fuel cell integration into waste-to-energy systems. Dr. Cheng's work emphasizes bridging technical innovations with economic and environmental sustainability.

Professional activities include advising graduate students and collaborating on USDA-funded projects. His lab focuses on advancing biorefinery systems through both experimental and computational modeling approaches, with a focus on lignocellulosic biomass and industrial hemp applications.