Aloha!
Yan's Environmental Microbiology Research Group @ CEE, U of Hawaii

Tao Yan, Professor
Ph.D. (2004) Civil Engineering, University of Minnesota

Office: POST 203E
Phone: (808) 956-6024
Email: taoyan@hawaii.edu
CV: (pdf)

Postdoctoral Fellows

Dr. Doris Di.

Ph.D. (2020) Microbiology, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), South Korea

Research: Genomic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA in wastewater

Dr. Bo Li.

Ph.D. (2020) Civil Engineirng, University of Hawaii at Manoa

Research:Wastewater detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA

Graudate Students


Min Ki (Carl) Jeon, PhD student (Sept. 2020 ~ Present).

Research topic: 1. biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbon in iron-rich soil; 2. genomic diversity of influenza in wastewater

Dane Sobol, MS student (Sept. 2020 ~ Present).

Research topic: Bio-clogging soil

Lab alumni

PhD students:

Prakit Saingam, PhD (Jan. 2016 ~ Dec. 2020). Current position: Postdoctoral fellow at the University of Washington.

Bo Li, PhD (Fall 2016 ~ May 2020). Current position: Postdoctoral fellow at the University of Hawaii.

Sabrina Diemert, PhD (Aug. 2016 ~ July 2020). Current position: British Columbia Department of Health, Canada.

Qian Zhang, PhD (Aug. 2010 ~ April 2015). Current position: Postdoctoral fellow at the University of Minnesota.

Lavane Kim, PhD (Jan. 2011 ~ July 2015). Current position: Assistant Professor at Can Tho University, Vietnam.

Yeping Ma Feb. 2011 ~ Aug. 2011. Visiting PhD student from Tsinghua University, China

MS students:

Zi Wang, CEE, Sept. 2013 ~ Dec. 2016. Current position: ControlPoint Surveying, Honolulu, Hawaii

Ale Ferrufino, CEE, Jan. 2013 ~ June 2014. Current position: McCormick Taylor, Baltimore, Maryland


Cindy Lee, CEE, Jan. 2009 - May 2012. Current position: Pearl Harbor.

Jennifer Steadman-Murphy, CEE , Fall. 2011 ~ Summer 2012. Current position: U.S. Army

Jessica Shelton, CEE, Jan. 2010 ~ Aug. 2011. Current position: AECOM, Honolulu.

Fan Feng , CEE, January 2008 ~ December, 2010. Current position: AECOM, Honolulu.

Dustin Goto, CEE, January 2008 ~ November, 2010. Current position: AMEC, Honolulu

Wendi Zheng, CEE, August, 2008 ~ August 2010. Current position: Pacific Commercial Services, LLC, Honolulu.

Postdoctoral fellow:

Dr. Xia He , (May 2013 - May 2015). Research: Microbial processes in the formation and degradation of FOG deposits in sewer pipelines. Current position: Research Associate, North Carolina State University.

Dr. Eulyn Pagaling, (Aug. 2011 - May 2014 ). Research: Microbial communities associated with sewer pipeline problems and identification of DNA markers for qPCR detection. Current position: Research Scientist, The James Hutton Institute, UK.

Dr. Mark Krzmarzick, (Aug. 2011 - Aug. 2012 ), Visiting from University of Minnesota. Research: Natural dechlorinating microbial communties. Current position: Associate Professor, Oklahoma State University.

Dr. Henglin Cui ,(Aug. 2011 - Aug. 2012 ), Research: fecal indicator bacteria and pathogens in tropical beach sand. Current position: Professor, Jiangsu Univeristy, China.

Dr. Kun Yang, (July 2011 - May 2013), Research: Effect of reclaimed water reuse in antibiotic resistence in soil microbial community. Current position: Associate Professor, Sichuan Univeristy, China.

Visiting scholars:

Dr. Meiyan Xing (Oct. 2016 ~ Dec. 2017). From Tongji Univeristy, China.

Dr. Chuanqing Zhong (Oct. 2015 - Oct. 2016). From Shangdong Jianzhu University, China.

Dr. Guangxiang Cao, (April 2016 - Oct. 2016). From Shangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, China.

Ms. Yao Zhou, Visiting MS student (Dec. 2016 ~ present). From Jiangsu University, China.

Undergraduate students:

Chad Morrow CEE Undergraduate (Oct. 2015 ~ June 2015)

Kahaleali'i Muhlestein, CEE Undergraduate (Feb. ~ June, 2009).

Ross Nakahara,CEE Undergraduate (June ~ July, 2008).

High school summer interns

Ross Nakahara (June ~ July, 2008)

Shawntrelle Sookla (June ~ July, 2009)

Kevin Furuike (June ~ July, 2012)

Espir Jon Ingasalo (June ~ July, 2012)

Codie Matute (June ~ July, 2012)

Corie Yoshida (June ~ July, 2012).