Education

Academic Degrees

• M. Sc., in Agricultural Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China, 2019
• B. Sc., in Agricultural Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China, 2016

Employment History

• University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Graduate Research Assistant (GRA), 05/2021-present
• University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA), Fall 2021-2024, Spring 2025

Area of Research and Professional Interest

• Microbial transformation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)
• Resource recovery from agricultural and electronic waste

Research Experience 

• Release and biotransformation of biosolids-borne PFAS at water-sediment interface, 01/2024-present
• Critical metals recovery from spent lithium-ion batteries, 01/2023-12/2023
• Medium chain carboxylic acid production from beef cattle manure, 05/2021-12/2022

Teaching Experience 

• GTA for Environmental Engineering Laboratory (CIVE 321L) (Fall 2021-2024, Spring 2025)

Publications and Presentations

• Wen, Q., Yin, Q., Burton, P., & Li, X. (2025). Addition of Corn Silage Enables Effective Methane Inhibition and Chain Elongation to Produce Caproate in Cofermentation with Beef Cattle Manure. ACS ES&T Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.5c00573
• Perera, J., Balasubramaniam, S., Somathilaka, S., Wen, Q., Li, X., Kasthurirathna, D., Roohi, A., & Nelson, M. T. (2025). Wet-Neuromorphic Computing: A New Paradigm for Biological Artificial Intelligence. IEEE Intelligent Systems, 40(3), 39–48. https://doi.org/10.1109/MIS.2025.3555551
• Yin, Q., Wen, Q., Tan, L., Watson, A., Erickson, G., & Li, X. (2024). Combining chain elongation and oleogel extraction for the production and recovery of caproate from beef cattle manure wastewater. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2023.107405
• Fang, Y., Si, B., Qiu, J., Wen, Q., An, M., Wang, B., & Jiang, W. (2020). Bioconversion of bamboo shoot shell to methane assisted by microwave irradiation and fungus metabolism. Science of the Total Environment, 724. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138268

Honors and Awards

• 2024-25 Milton E. Mohr Fellowship, College of Engineering, UNL, 2024
• 2023 Nebraska Water Environment Federation Student Scholarship, 2023
• Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP) Conference Travel Grant, 2023
• James Jirsa Professional Development Award, College of Engineering, UNL, 2023