Youneng Tang

Youneng Tang is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, holding a primary appointment at Florida State University and a courtesy appointment at Florida A&M University since 2015. His research focuses on sustainable biofilm processes for environmental applications including water and wastewater treatment, solid waste management, groundwater remediation, and resource recovery from waste.

Educational Background:

• Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering, Arizona State University (2012)
• M.S. in Municipal Engineering, Wuhan University (2007)
• B.S. in Water and Wastewater Engineering, Wuhan University (2005)

Dr. Tang's research interests center on sustainable biofilm processes for environmental applications. His work specifically addresses biological treatment of emerging contaminants including PFAS and 1,4-dioxane, metals and metalloids recovery from wastewater, biofilm processes based on anaerobic oxidation of methane, landfill odor control, and mathematical modeling of biofilm processes. His laboratory combines advanced tools such as microscopy, molecular techniques, and mathematical modeling to optimize microbial communities for environmental remediation and resource recovery.

Analysis of Dr. Tang's recent publications (2014-2019) reveals a strong focus on emerging contaminants, particularly PFAS and 1,4-dioxane treatment using innovative biofilm-based approaches. His research demonstrates increasing sophistication in combining multiple treatment technologies (such as non-thermal plasma with biodegradation) and developing advanced mathematical models to predict contaminant fate. A significant portion of his recent work addresses the complex challenge of treating multiple contaminants simultaneously, reflecting the real-world complexity of environmental remediation projects.

Dr. Tang actively mentors graduate and undergraduate students in his research lab, with Mojtaba Nouri Goukeh serving as his primary graduate research assistant across multiple projects. He has secured substantial research funding from the Hinkley Center for Solid and Hazardous Waste Management for four major projects spanning from 2021 to 2025, with total project durations covering research on PFAS in landfill gas emissions, leachate evaporation, volatile PFAS transport, and fluorotelomer alcohol permeation through landfill liners.

The Tang Lab focuses on making biofilm processes more sustainable through deep understanding of microbial ecology. The lab's work bridges fundamental research on microbial communities with practical applications in environmental engineering, particularly in the challenging areas of emerging contaminants treatment and resource recovery from waste streams.