Hugang Li | Sustainable Metallurgy | Research Excellence Award

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Dr. Hugang Li | Sustainable Metallurgy | Research Excellence Award

Taiyuan University of Technology | China

Hugang Li is an engineer with a Ph.D. in Engineering from China Agricultural University College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering. He currently serves as Lecturer at the School of Environmental and Ecological Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, and previously completed a joint-PhD training at the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, followed by a postdoctoral research position at the “Solid Waste and Carbon Recycling Center,” Shanxi Clean Energy Research Institute, Tsinghua University. His research focuses on thermochemical conversion of biomass and solid waste for environmental functional materials, phosphorus resource recovery from sewage sludge, nano-biochar production, and ecological restoration. As principal investigator on projects such as the “Multi-Scale Structural Coordination of Iron-Manganese SpinelActivated Carbon for Dioxin Supercritical Oxidation Enhancement” and “FeCl₃-Coordinated Hydrothermal Phosphorus Recovery and Cyanide Inhibition in Biochar”, he advances sustainable waste-to-resource transformation. His recent peer-reviewed publications address hydrothermal phosphorus/arsenic co-transformation in sewage sludge, vacuum fractional distillation of biocrude oils, heavy-metal immobilization in hydrochar, wastewater treatment via hydrothermal biofuel production, and hydrothermal liquefaction effects on heavy metal and arsenic behavior. Having achieved 23 publications and 675 citations, with an h-index of  11, his work demonstrates both productivity and impact in environmental and waste-resource engineering. He has earned recognition through  national-level natural-science award, a overseas-training scholarship, and invitations to present at major international conferences. He remains dedicated to innovating sustainable waste and bio-material technologies, training the next generation of researchers, and contributing to circular bioeconomy and environmental health.

Profiles: Scopus |  Orcid

Featured Publications

Li, H., Gao, Y., Chen, H., Zhou, H., Qin, Y., & Niu, S. (2025). Acidic Fe(III)-driven hydrothermal co-transformation of phosphorus and arsenic in sewage sludge: Vivianite crystallization coupled with amorphous ferric arsenate formation for phosphorus-enriched hydrochar. Separation and Purification Technology, 373, 133617.

Li, H., Tian, C., Lu, J., & He, C. (2022). Vacuum fractional distillation of biocrude oil and the immobilization of harmful metals. Fuel, 326, 125013.

Li, H., Cao, M., Watson, J., Zhang, Y., & Liu, Z. (2021). In situ hydrochar regulates Cu fate and speciation: Insights into transformation mechanisms. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 410, 124616.

Li, H., Cao, M., Zhang, Y., & Liu, Z. (2021). Hydrothermal liquefaction accelerates the toxicity and solubility of arsenic in biowaste. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 418, 126314.

Li, H., Watson, J., Zhang, Y., Lu, H., & Liu, Z. (2020). Environment-enhancing process for algal wastewater treatment, heavy metal control, and hydrothermal biofuel production: A critical review. Bioresource Technology, 298, 122421.

Regasa Yadeta Sembeta | Civil Engineering | Research Excellence Award

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Mr. Regasa Yadeta Sembeta | Civil Engineering | Research Excellence Award

Mattu University | Ethiopia

Regasa Yadeta Sembeta is a civil engineer with a Master of Science in Structural Engineering from Jimma Institute of Technology and a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering from Mattu University. Since 2009 he has served as a teacher, researcher, reviewer and community-service academic, progressing to an editorial-board position at Mattu University through sustained academic contributions. His research spans structural and sustainable construction engineering, including finite-element analysis of encased composite columns, performance evaluation under monotonic and cyclic loads, and sustainability-driven materials design such as geopolymer concrete using industrial by-products e.g. copper slag, recycled aggregate, GGBFS and natural fibers e.g. bamboo fiber. Through numerous peer-reviewed publications he has advanced understanding in load-capacity modeling of composite columns, mechanical and thermal performance of sustainable/conventional concrete, and optimization of fiber-reinforced composite materials. His work reflects a strong commitment to combining structural performance with environmental sustainability, computational modelling, and innovative materials research. With 10 Documents publications, 29 citations, and an h-index of 3, his academic impact shows both breadth and influence in the civil/construction engineering community. He remains dedicated to mentoring students, expanding sustainable construction research, and contributing to community-oriented engineering education.

Profiles: Scopus | Google Scholar | Orcid

Featured Publications

Yadeta Sembeta, R., & Zerfu, K. (2023). Finite element‐based performance analysis of encased composite columns under monotonic axial compression load. Advances in Civil Engineering, 2023(1), 5974705.

Yadeta Sembeta, R., Zerfu, K., Mersha, M., & Agon, E. C. (2024). The effects of different steel sections on the performance of encased composite columns under cyclic lateral loads. Results in Engineering, 24, 103510.

Yadeta Sembeta, R., Rath, B., Agon, E. C., Dereje, B., Garoma, S., Debela, A., & Kebede, K. (2023). Modification of load carrying capacity model for composite columns. Journal of Building Pathology and Rehabilitation, 8(1), 11.

Yadeta Sembeta, R., Arunvivek, G. K., Anandaraj, S., Kumar, P., & Pratap, B. (2025). Compressive strength modelling of cenosphere and copper slag–based geopolymer concrete using deep learning model. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 27849.

Yadeta Sembeta, R., Paswan, R. K., Kumar, P., & Kumar, V. (2025). Mechanical properties of alkali-activated slag binder–based concrete at elevated temperatures. Discover Sustainability, 6(1), 744.