Zhen He

Zhen (Jason) He is the Laura and William Jens Professor of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis. He joined the McKelvey School of Engineering in 2020, previously holding roles at Virginia Tech (2013–2020) and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (post-2007). His research focuses on environmental biotechnology, bioenergy, wastewater treatment, and sustainable desalination. He holds editorial roles for Journal of Hazardous Materials and Water Environmental Research.

Education:

• PhD, Environmental Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis (2007)
• MSc, Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark (2003)
• BS, Environmental Engineering, Tongji University, China (2000)

Research Interests: Advanced resource recovery from wastewater, bioelectrochemical systems, anaerobic digestion, and forward osmosis. His work emphasizes sustainable technologies for water reuse and environmental protection.

Recent Research Trends: Recent efforts include electrochemical processes for wastewater treatment and disinfection, as highlighted in a 2025 breakthrough reducing chemical reliance in water treatment systems. His lab explores interdisciplinary solutions at the Brauer Hall facility.

Awards:

• 2025 Frederick George Pohland Medal (AEESP & AAEES)
• Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researcher (2018)
• Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize (2018)

Advising & Grants: Advised student teams winning the 2025 Midwest Student Design Competition. Active in securing grants for sustainable desalination and wastewater innovation.

Labs & Affiliations: Leads research at the Brauer Hall lab (Room 1041) and is affiliated with the Center for Water Innovation (CWI).