I am an Academic with over 18 years of combined research, teaching, and industry experience, currently based in Australia. My work focuses on sustainable environmental systems, integrating water and wastewater treatment, greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation, resource recovery, membrane separation, adsorption, and the remediation of emerging contaminants.

I completed my Ph.D. in Environmental and Chemical Convergence Engineering at Daegu University, South Korea, where I received the Presidential Honor for Best Dissertation for pioneering research on CO₂ utilization for scale inhibition in reverse osmosis systems. My doctoral work, funded by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy (Korea), led to the design and operation of a pilot-scale membrane plant that successfully demonstrated an eco-friendly and cost-effective approach to sustainable water treatment.

Following my Ph.D., I joined Chungnam National University as a Research Professor (Brain Pool Fellow), where I led multidisciplinary projects on mine water remediation, magnetite-based materials for nutrient and metal recovery, CO₂ capture and utilization (CCU), and sustainable process innovation. I have also collaborated extensively with industry partners such as POSCO, K-Water, and the Korean Ministry of Trade, focusing on the transition toward circular economy and low-carbon technologies.

My current research expands into climate-resilient water management, carbon-neutral treatment processes, and nature-positive resource recovery, aligning with global sustainability and decarbonization goals. Over my career, I have published more than 75 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters in top-tier journals such as Coordination Chemistry Reviews, Advances in Colloid & Interface Science, Bioresource Technology, Desalination, and Journal of Membrane Science. One of my articles was also featured on the cover page of Membranes and selected as an Editor’s Choice paper.

Beyond research, I am deeply committed to teaching, mentoring, and capacity building. I have taught and coordinated courses in Water and Wastewater Engineering, Systems and Design Thinking, and Environmental Entrepreneurship at Macquarie University, embedding sustainability principles and circular economy frameworks into engineering curricula.

I maintain a strong network of collaborators across Australia, South Korea, the USA, Norway, China, Malaysia, India, and Pakistan, reflecting my commitment to global partnerships that drive innovation in environmental sustainability and engineering education.

Education

Ph.D., Environmental & Chemical Convergence Engineering (2018)

(Presidential Honor), Republic of Korea