Principal Investigator

[Profiles]

[Research Interests]

• Environmental nanotechnology: 

- Sustainable development towards next-generation of multifunctional nanostructures; Application in 1) adsorption, 2) resource recovery, 3) chemical oxidation, 4) sono/photocatalytic (visible and UV light) oxidation, and 5) soil and groundwater remediation.

• Membrane fouling mitigation: 

- Design and optimization of innovative physicochemical separation processes (ultrafiltration and nanofiltration) for drinking water and industrial wastewater treatment in terms of energy consumption and concentrate management.

• Fate and transport of nanomaterials:

- Characterization of the environmental fate processes of engineered and natural nanomaterials (contaminant fate and transport in the subsurface); Transformations, reactivity, and toxicity of nanoparticles in soils, water, and plants. 

[Education]

[Affiliations]

• KNU Excellent Research Professor (JCR 1%), 2025

• KNU Engineering School Best Researcher Award, 2024

• KNU Wonam Academic Award, 2024

• KNU Excellent Research Professor (JCR 5%), 2024

• KNU Excellent Research Professor (JCR 5%), 2023

• Best Paper Award and This Month’s Researcher (Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers), 2022

• Korean Prime Minister's Citation (in recognition of his achievements in science and technology promotion), 2022

• KNU Excellent Research Professor (JCR 1%), 2022

• KNU Engineering School Best Researcher Award, 2021

• KNU Excellent Research Professor (JCR 1%), 2021

• Winner of Top Papers Award in Nano Research (Tsinghua University Press), 2020-2021

• KNU Excellent Research Professor (IF 10), 2020

• KNU Excellent Research Professor (JCR 1%), 2019

• Excellent Participation Faculty to KNU CK-I Program, 2019 

• Outstanding Reviewer Award (the top 10th percentile of reviewers, Ultrasonics – Sonochemistry, Elsevier), 2018

• Best Reviewer Award (Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, Taylor & Francis), 2017

• 2018 Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award, 2017

• NRC Research Associateship (National Academy of Science), 2017

• The University of Texas at Austin Graduate Research Assistantship, 2008 – 2011

• Virginia Tech Graduate Research Assistantship, 2007 – 2008

• KASF Scholarship (Eastern Regional Chapter), 2007

• Harry H. Hunt, III Grant (HHHunt), 2007

• Virginia Tech Hokie Spirit Scholarship, 2007

• Virginia Tech Graduate Teaching Assistantship, 2006 – 2007

• Hanyang University Excellent Student Scholarship, 2005

• Hanyang University Outstanding Student Scholarship, 2004 

• Invited Lecture (2020), The 6th International Water Industry Conference: Green Technologies for Blue Water, Daegu, Republic of Korea.

• Keynote Speaker (2019), Korean Society of Environmental Biology Conference, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

• Invited Lecture (2019), Department of Chemistry, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea.

• Invited Lecture (2019), School of Urban and Environmental Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, Republic of Korea. 

• Open Campus Seminar (2019 Spring), Dept. of Environmental Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea.

• Invited Lecture (2018), The 4th International Water Industry Conference: New Paradigm of Water Industry, Daegu, Republic of Korea.

• Open Campus Seminar (2018 Fall), Dept. of Environmental Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea.

• Invited Lecture (2018), Department of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

• Invited Lecture (2018), The 9th International Conference on New & Renewable Energy, Daegu, Republic of Korea.

• Invited Lecture (2017), School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, Republic of Korea

• Keynote Speaker (2017), The 3rd International Water Industry Conference: Water Sustainability, Gyeongju, Republic of Korea.

• Invited Lecture (2017), Department of Environmental Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea.

• Invited Lecture (2014), Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM), Daejeon, Republic of Korea.

• Invited Lecture (2013), Yeoncheon Lohas Public Water Service, Yeoncheon, Republic of Korea.

• Invited Lecture (2011), Samsung Cheil Industries, Chicago, IL, USA

• Environmental Water and Resources Engineering Seminar (2011), The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA

• Member, AGU

• Member, Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment

• Member, Korean Society of Environmental Engineers

• Committee Member, Research Institute of Environmental Science & Technology

• Committee Member, Advanced Institute of Water Industry

• Committee Member, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Branch, Korean Society of Environmental Engineers

• Reviewer, ACS Nano

• Reviewer, Water Research

• Reviewer, Applied Catalysis B: Environmental

• Reviewer, Environmental Science & Technology

• Reviewer, Ultrasonics Sonochemistry

• Reviewer, Journal of Hazardous Materials

• Reviewer, Chemical Engineering Journal

• Reviewer, Environmental Pollution

• Reviewer, Science of the Total Environment

• Reviewer, Chemosphere

• Reviewer, Separation and Purification Technology

• Reviewer, Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects

• Reviewer, Engineering

• Reviewer, Environmental Science and Pollution Research

• Reviewer, Water Environment Research

• Reviewer, Process Biochemistry

• Reviewer, Agricultural Water Management

• Reviewer, Journal of Dispersion Science and Technology

• Reviewer, Journal of Food Science and Technology

• Reviewer, Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association

• Reviewer, Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers

• Reviewer, Journal of Environmental Management

• Reviewer, Journal of Cleaner Production

• Reviewer, Journal of Molecular Liquids

• Reviewer, ACS Omega

• Reviewer, Water

• Reviewer, Molecules

• Reviewer, Desalination and Water Treatment

• Reviewer, International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry

• Volunteer, 2016 K-12 Outreach Programs, Engineers Week Open House, University of South Carolina, USA

• Poster examiner, The 3rd International Water Industry Conference 2017: Water Sustainability, Gyeongju, South Korea

• Session chair, The 3rd International Water Industry Conference 2017: Water Sustainability, Gyeongju, South Korea

• Lead professor, KNU Undergraduate Student Overseas Onsite Training Program (CK-1), Singapore

• Session chair, 2018 AGU Fall Meeting, Washington, D.C., USA

• Advisor, 2018 KNU CK-I Industry-Academic Development Research Education Program

• Advisor, 2018 KNU CK-I Regional Industry Linkage Industry-Academic Cooperative Research Education Program

• Guest editor, Special Issue “Removal of Emerging Contaminants from Waters using Nanotechnology” in Water

• Guest editor, Special Issue “Technology Innovation for Sustainable Water-Selected Papers from IWIC2019” in Water

• Poster examiner, The 5th International Water Industry Conference 2019: Technology Innovation for Sustainable Water, Daegu, South Korea

• Plenary session chair, The 5th International Water Industry Conference 2019: Technology Innovation for Sustainable Water, Daegu, South Korea

• Associate editor, Frontiers in Environmental Chemistry – Sorption Technologies

• Session chair, The 6th International Water Industry Conference 2020: Green Technologies for Blue Water, Daegu, South Korea 

• Associate editor, CHEMOSPHERE