Current Members
Ran joined the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as an Assistant Professor in November 2024. A proud alumnus of the department, he earned his Ph.D. in 2020 and M.S. in 2015. He also holds a B.S. degree from Peking University in China (2013) and gained postdoctoral experience at AIST (2021–23) and JAMSTEC (2023–24) in Japan. His research focuses on microbial ecology in natural and engineered ecosystems, with a particular emphasis on advancing sustainable water systems. Ran is also passionate about teaching and teaches Water Quality Control II (CEE 538) and Biological Principles in Environmental Engineering (CEE 444).
Google Scholar | CV | ranmei2{at}illinois.edu
Yuan started her master’s studies in January 2025 in the Environmental Engineering & Science program at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She earned her bachelor's degree in Environmental Science and Engineering from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC, 2024). Her research focuses on syntrophism in anaerobic environments. Outside of academics, Yuan enjoys reading and traveling, aspiring to "read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles," as a Chinese proverb inspires.