Ruihong Zhang

Ruihong Zhang is a Professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at the University of California, Davis, within the College of Engineering. Her research is centered on bioenvironmental engineering, with a focus on sustainable waste management and renewable energy systems. She is actively involved in advancing technologies for pollution prevention and resource recovery from agricultural and food wastes.

Her research interests span bioenvironmental engineering, anaerobic digestion, air quality control, nutrient management, and organic waste conversion. She investigates biological, physical, and chemical methods to transform agricultural residues into valuable resources such as biogas and biofertilizers, while minimizing environmental impacts. Her work addresses critical challenges in emissions control from animal feeding operations and food processing facilities.

The recent publications highlight a strong trend in waste-to-energy conversion, particularly through anaerobic digestion of food waste, chicken manure, and crop residues. Research also emphasizes pretreatment techniques for enhancing biomass digestibility, including alkaline and acid methods. Topics such as emissions monitoring, nutrient flow in poultry systems, and enzyme-substrate interactions reflect the interdisciplinary nature of her work, bridging environmental engineering, agricultural science, and bioenergy.

Dr. Zhang is engaged in advising graduate students and leading research initiatives supported by institutional and external grants. She is recognized as a Graduate Faculty member and has contributed to innovative projects such as bioplastic development from dairy byproducts and participation in the Biomanufactured Food Challenge. Her research team works on scalable solutions for sustainable agriculture and climate change mitigation.

Her work is conducted through laboratory and field studies at UC Davis, including pilot-scale anaerobic digesters and emissions monitoring systems. She collaborates with interdisciplinary teams across food, agriculture, and environmental sectors to develop circular economy solutions. Notable projects include composting dairy manure with almond biomass and developing alternative protein sources using fungi.