Faculty-Student Team Receives Grant to Remove ‘Forever Chemicals’ from Water
April 24, 2024
Assistant professor Mi Li has built a student team to work on EPA project including Kailong Zhang, a Ph.D. student in the School of Natural Resources, and Ryan Baskette, an undergraduate student in the Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology. The team received a $75,000 research grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a two-year project using a cellulose-functionalized adsorbent to remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from water. The grant comes from the EPA’s People, Prosperity, and the Planet Program, which provided almost $1.2 million to 16 college student teams across the U.S. to develop solutions for environmental and public health challenges. The team plans to create a cellulose-metal organic frameworks (Cello-MOFs) hybrid adsorbent to remove PFAS from water.
Graduate student Kailong Zhang wins Student Faculty Research Award
Dec 04, 2023
PhD student Kailong Zhang and Assistant Professor Mi Li at the Center for Renewable Carbon and the School of Natural Resources recently were awarded a Fall 2023 Student Faculty Research Award (SFRA). They will receive funding for their project “Cellulose Nanofibers Templated Metal-Organic Frameworks for Fluorescent-Visual Detection of Pesticides.” This research project aims to create a user-friendly detection platform using functionalized cellulose to monitor and control pesticide levels in the agricultural sector. The SFRA award is intended to help support student research/scholarship/creative activity; give students experience writing grants; and foster the mentoring relationship between faculty and graduate students.
Makayla Hamilton was mentored by Kailong Zhang for her SMaRT summer project
Aug 10, 2023
Makayla Hamilton, a rising Junior at Tougaloo College, has recently made strides in renewable and functional materials. As part of her Summer SMaRT Internship, Makayla worked with Kailong Zhang at the Center for Renewable Carbon under the guidance of Dr. Li’s Laboratory. Their project focused on the innovative design of a luminescent wood film with the potential to detect volatile organic compounds.
Kailong Zhang wins the 2023–2024 Oscar Roy Ashley Graduate Fellowship
May 04, 2023
Kailong Zhang, a second-year PhD student in the School of Natural Resources, is the proud recipient of the 2023-2024 Oscar Roy Ashley Graduate Fellowship. Zhang’s innovative research is focused on wood and cellulose-based functional materials, guided by the expertise of CRC professor, Dr. Mi Li. This fellowship is for deserving and talented returning students who have demonstrated excellence in academic performance, highlighting Zhang’s noteworthy academic achievements and professional commitment.
